When Tragedy Strikes
by Col3725
Summary: Six weeks after the triplets are born, something happens that shakes up Charlotte and Cooper's world. How will they handle it when their family of six unexpectedly becomes seven?
1. Chapter 1

Charlotte's asleep, rolled onto her side, her eyes twitching as she breathes in and out. She's lightly gripping the sheets in her fists, snoring softly.

Cooper walks into the bedroom slowly, hesitantly, and crawls onto the mattress, scooting closer to his wife. He nudges her. "Char." He shakes her. "Charlotte," he says again, his breathing labored, his voice low and raspy. He slaps her gently on the shoulder. "Charlotte."

She jerks and swallows. "The house had better be on fire, you had better be bleedin', or one of the kids had better be hurt."

"Char," he repeats.

She groans and rolls onto her back. She turns her head and looks at him. "What?"

He opens his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out. He inches even closer to her and wraps his arms around her, clinging to her and burying her head into the crook of her neck.

She can feel the warmth of tears dripping down her husband's cheek, so she completes the embrace and slides her fingers through his hair while she runs her hand up and down his back. "What happened?"

He starts to shake, clutching her shirt, as a few muffled sobs escape.

She pushes him back and lifts his head. "What is it, Coop?"

"Violet, um, she, uh, she's—."

That's all she needs to hear. She pulls him back into her and rests her chin on the top of his head as she continues to hold him.

A few minutes later, he separates from her and grips her hips as he showers her with kisses. He presses his lips against hers, and then skims them across her jawbone and down her neck, kissing along her collarbone next.

She lets out a satisfied sigh and pulls on his hair. "Coop," she whispers.

"Shhh." He moves his hand across her stomach and down her right thigh.

She pushes him back and shakes her head. "Coop."

He tilts his head back and pouts his lips. "Please."

She's about to answer him when just then she hears the triplets' boisterous cries echo through the baby monitors on her nightstand. She sighs and looks at Cooper. "Is she ok?" She knows the answer or at least she's pretty sure she knows the answer, but she asks anyway.

He shrugs.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?"

He shakes his head and rolls out of bed.

"You sure?"

He nods. "Uh-huh."

"I'm gonna go get the babies. I'll have Mason help me."

"No, I'll help."

She shakes her head. "Go to the hospital, Coop. I can handle it." She yawns. She'd give anything just to go back to sleep, but that's not going to happen. She gives him a quick peck on the lips and looks up at him. "Go. I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried 'bout."

He offers her a small smile and kisses her again. "I love you," he whispers.

His voice cracks and it makes her chest tighten. She wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his chest. "It's gonna be ok."

He completes the embrace and nods. He hopes she's right. He gives her one last kiss on the lips before he follows her out of the bedroom. While she disappears into the nursery, he continues down the hallway, down the stairs, and then out the door. God, he hopes she's right.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

Charlotte's sitting in the rocking chair, holding a sleeping newborn in her arms. She looks down and skims her thumb across Isabelle's pale cheek. She lets out a breath and presses a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She then carefully stands up. She pads over to the middle crib and sets the baby down. She watches as her daughter stretches and lets out a large yawn mixed with a quiet squeal. She can't help but smile. She rubs the baby's foot and adjusts the crib railing.

Mason pushes open the door to the nursery and walks in. "Do you need any more help, momma?"

She looks at him and shakes her head. "Not at the moment, sweetie. Emmett, Dylan, and Isabelle are sleepin', but thank you for lendin' me your hands for a little while. You're a big help."

"Is dad still at the hospital?"

"I assume so. I'm about to go call him."

Mason looks over the railing of the crib closest to the door.

"You hungry at all, sweetie?"

He ignores her, as he stands there, looking at Dylan.

She closes the gap between them and nudges him in the side. "I asked you a question, Mason."

He blinks and looks up at her. "Huh?"

"I asked if you were hungry."

"Oh, sorry. I'm a little hungry."

"Well, how 'bout we let the babies sleep and go get a snack?"

He sighs. "But don't you have to call my dad?"

"After our snack." She rakes her fingers through his hair and kisses the side of his head. "Come on." She smiles and lets out a breath as the two of them walk out of the nursery.

* * *

Charlotte's standing in the kitchen when the phone rings. She hurries over to it and grabs it just before the answering machine picks up. "Hello, Charlotte King speakin'." She's not quite sure who it is. She was in a rush to answer the phone so she failed to look at the caller ID.

_"Char."_

"How bad is it, Coop?" His voice is low and hoarse, so she figures he's not calling to give her good news. His silence confirms it. She looks at Mason, who's sitting at the island counter enjoying his cheese and crackers. She sighs and slips out onto the deck. She sinks onto one of the lounge chairs and leans back. "What happened?" She hears heavy breathing and sniffling. She's not going to get much out of him, she realizes. "I'm on my way." She hangs up and takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She gets off the chair and heads back inside.

"Was that my dad?"

She nods. "Mmhmm." She pauses. "Go get your jacket and pack a bag with stuff to keep you busy at the hospital. I've got no choice but to bring you four with me."

He wolfs down the rest of his snack and slips off the stool. He runs into the living room and disappears upstairs.

She sighs and puts his plate in the dishwasher. She follows her oldest son upstairs and goes into the nursery.

* * *

Charlotte walks into the west entrance of the ER, pushing the stroller. She pads over to the closest nurses' station and leans over the counter. "Nancy, I need you to tell me what room Dr. Violet Turner's in."

"Welcome back, Dr. King."

"I'm not back yet, Nancy. I won't be back until Monday. Can you just tell me where Dr. Turner is?"

Nancy nods, peeking over the counter to look into the stroller. "They're getting so big."

"Nancy!"

The nurse sits down and searches through the computer. She then looks up. "She's still in the OR."

"Thank you." Charlotte glances at Mason. "Come on, Mase."

Mason catches up to her and adjusts the backpack on his shoulders.

"You ok?"

He nods and scuffs his shoes against the tile floor. "Uh-huh."

She sighs and they head towards the elevator. She's going to drop the babies off and then head back to the waiting room.

* * *

Charlotte and Mason walk into the waiting room and it seems that they're the last ones to get there. She sits down in an empty seat beside Addison and looks at her. "What happened?"

"You don't know?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't askin', now would I, Montgomery?"

"Someone's cranky," Amelia chimes in.

Charlotte turns her head and glares at her friend, who's sitting across from her. She rolls her eyes and looks at Addison again. "So, what the heck happened?"

"One of Violet's patients, they, uh, they stabbed her three times in the stomach and chest. One of the stabs pierced through her lung and nicked her heart. Sam and Dr. Wilson are operating," Addison answers.

Charlotte swallows and stands up when she sees Cooper round the corner and enter the room. She walks over to him and he immediately pulls her into a hug. She completes the embrace and slides her hand up and down his back slowly. After about a minute, she separates from him and steps back.

"I need to talk to you," he whispers, his voice even hoarser than it was on the phone.

She nods. "Yeah, um, sure." She looks back at the group of doctors. "Keep an eye on Mason." She squeezes Cooper's hand before they walk out of the waiting room and down the hallway.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

Charlotte and Cooper sneak into an unoccupied room. She shuts the door and locks it, leaning against it. She turns her head and looks at her husband. "How is she?"

Cooper shifts and twists his hands in front of him. "I don't," he swallows, "I don't think she's, uh, gonna make it." He blinks and sinks into an empty chair.

She sighs. "Oh, Coop." She walks around and sits beside him, twisting her body and resting her hand on his knee.

He draws his bottom lip into his mouth and nibbles on it as he looks at her, his eyes glossy and red. "We need to talk about," he clears his throat, "Lucas."

She closes her eyes and pulls back, letting out a breath. "Let's," she swallows, "talk 'bout somethin' else right now."

The last thing he wants to think about is his best friend dying, but this is something they need to talk about. He's about to say something when there's a knock on the door. He stands up and opens it. He collapses to his knees in slow motion, his hand still on the doorknob.

Charlotte springs up and kneels beside him. She glances up and sees Addison standing there, a grim expression on her face.

The redhead hadn't even gotten any words out before Cooper reacted. He just knew whatever she had to say wasn't anything good.

Charlotte fights back tears as she holds him. She feels his erratic heartbeat against her chest and hears his muffled sobs. She looks up at Addison again and swallows. "Is she—?" She whispers, rubbing Cooper's back.

"She's in the ICU. Sam and Dr. Wilson are hoping to continue surgery once she stabilizes, if she does," Addison chokes out.

Charlotte nods and helps Cooper stand up, nearly stumbling backwards in the process. She yawns and rubs her eyes. She loops her arm around her husband and presses a kiss to his arm. "Come on." She half smiles at him and takes his hand, weaving their fingers together.

He gives her a nod, and they walk past Addison and head down the hallway.

* * *

Charlotte walks through the door to Violet's room and stops, looking behind her. She sighs. "Coop."

Cooper's frozen in the doorway, his eyes fixated on his best friend lying in the bed with the sheets pulled up to her neck and an intubation tube coming from her mouth. Even from his distance, he can hear the incessant beeping of the heart monitor and the click of the ventilator. He steps back and blinks slowly.

Charlotte closes the gap between them and grabs his hand again.

He looks at her, his eyes completely glazed over with tears. He's shaking a little as he takes a few steps forward, tightening his grip on her hand. "I just saw her four hours ago. She was fine."

Charlotte nods and stands beside him as he sinks into the chair by Violet's bedside. She rests her hand on his shoulder and kneads her fingers into his muscles. Her hand brushes against her neck as it makes its way up through his hair.

He gradually places his hand on top of Violet's and hooks his fingers around, pressing them into her palm. He turns his head towards her and closes his eyes for a minute. He's expecting something to be different when he opens them, but she's the same. Her face is still pale, her lips are still cracked, and her eyes are still sunken in. A couple tears roll down his cheeks as he stares at her. "She's gonna be fine."

Charlotte knows Violet's chances are slim, but she nods anyway. "She has to be," she says, her voice cracking. She tugs on his hair and slides her hand back down, rubbing just between his shoulder blades. "Cooper?"

He lifts his chin and turns his head. "Yeah, sweetie?"

She leans down and frames his face in her hands. She gives him a light peck on the lips and then steps closer to him, kissing him more intensely.

He swallows. "Oh," he mumbles against her lips.

She pulls back and runs her fingers through his hair. "I love you," she whispers.

He smiles. "I love you too," he swallows, "so much." He pauses. "I don't think I tell you that enough, but I do, I love you."

She nods. "I know, Coop, and you tell me plenty." She gives him another quick peck on the lips. "I don't tell you enough, though." She pauses. "With what happened to Pete and now," she sighs, "Violet, I need to tell you that I love you more often."

He blinks and presses a kiss to the back of her hand. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He kisses her again and sighs. "I hope I never have to find out."

"Shhh." She looks at Violet and squeezes Cooper's shoulder. "This has been one hell of a year."

He nods and turns his focus to his best friend, cupping her hand between both of his.

After almost ten minutes, Charlotte drops her hand off his shoulder and looks at him. "I'll let you be alone with Violet. I'm gonna go check on Mason and the babies. Hang in there, Coop."

He looks at her and sighs.

She lowers her head and kisses him on the lips again. She then walks out of the room, giving him one last smile before disappearing down the hallway.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

Charlotte slips into a supply closet and sinks onto the single chair that's pushed up against the shelf. She leans forward, her head in her hands, and closes her eyes.

The door suddenly opens and the shadowy figure of a woman appears.

Charlotte lifts her head and looks towards the door. She straightens out and shifts.

The door clicks shut and the light switches on. "What are you doing in a supply closet?"

"What's it look like, Amelia?"

"I thought you didn't like Violet."

"I'm not particularly fond of the woman, but she has her moments where she's tolerable." Charlotte paused. "But she's not the reason I'm in here, at least not the way you think."

Amelia leans against the shelf. "I'm listening."

"I'm in here 'cause at Pete's funeral, I told Cooper we'd take Lucas if somethin' happened to Violet. I really did mean it, but I wasn't actually expectin' it to come to that at the time."

Amelia blinks. "So you're in here hiding?"

Charlotte shrugs. "I guess that's one way to put it." She sighs and stands up. She rubs her eyes and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Don't tell a soul 'bout this, got it?"

Amelia nods. "I'll try not to, but there's bound to be a lot of uncomfortable silences in the near future, and well, you know how I get."

Charlotte just nods and walks out of the supply closet, heading down the hallway to the elevator.

* * *

When Charlotte gets back to Violet's room, Addison, Amelia, Sam, Jake, and Sheldon are now in there. Cooper's still in the same spot, staring at his best friend. She walks over to the bed and places her hand on his shoulder. She's met with not even a twitch. She's not even sure he notices that she's standing there or that everyone else is there too, for that matter. She sighs. It's ten minutes after seven and they've been at the hospital for nearly six hours now. "Coop." She gets silence, so she nudges him. "Cooper," she says a little louder. She pushes him harder. "Cooper," she repeats.

Cooper shifts and finally looks at her. "Hey, when'd you get here?" His eyes scan the room. "And when did all of you get here?"

"We've been here for almost a half hour, Cooper," Sam answers.

Cooper blinks and turns his focus to his wife. "You too?"

"No, I just got here." Charlotte pauses. "I came to check on you and tell you that I'm gonna head home. Mason's roamin' 'round the hospital, probably thinkin' 'bout his momma, and I've gotta get the babies to bed. I'm guessin' you're spendin' the night here?"

Cooper sighs. "I can't leave."

"I figured." Charlotte fights back a yawn. _This is gonna be a long night. _She presses a kiss to his cheek and runs her fingers through his hair. She starts to walk towards the door, but she stops and turns around when she hears him call her name.

"Please, stay," he whispers, his voice cracking.

Charlotte sighs. "Come home with me. I'll drive you back to the hospital first thin' in the mornin'."

He looks back at Violet and squeezes her hand.

"It's not like Violet's going anywhere," Amelia says, sipping her coffee.

"Amelia," the room erupts.

Amelia shrugs and takes another sip of her coffee, looking at them up over the rim.

Sam looks at Cooper. "I'm on call and Violet's technically my patient, so I'll be in and out of her room all night."

Cooper stands up and leans over, pressing a kiss to Violet's cheek. He steps back and closes his eyes. "Call if _anything _changes," he stresses. He's hesitant to walk out of the room, but he does, his arm looped around his wife's waist, his side pressed against hers as they head to the elevator. He doesn't want to leave, but he needs to be with his wife tonight.

* * *

Charlotte stirs at three and abruptly sits up, sort of confused. She hasn't slept this late without waking up since before she was pregnant. She rubs her eyes and lets out a breath. She disappears into the bathroom and then heads down the hallway. She pushes open the door to the nursery and smiles at what she sees—Cooper sitting in the rocking chair with Emmett cradled in his arms, feeding the newborn a bottle. She pads over to him and looks over his shoulder, staring down at their son.

Cooper turns his head and looks up at her. "I can't sleep." He takes the bottle out of the baby's mouth and sets it on the dresser. He carefully lifts his son and rests him against his shoulder, patting his back lightly until he hears a burp. He lowers him down and runs his hand over the newborn's brown hair. He rocks him when he starts to get fussy. "Shhh." He watches as Emmett falls back asleep, the baby's hand wrapped around his father's finger. "Go back to bed, Char."

She shakes her head. "Not unless you're goin' with me." She pulls the footrest to the side of the rocking chair and sits down on it. She looks at her son in her husband's arms and smiles. "You know what I realized?"

He turns his head. "What?"

"For every life lost this year, there's been a new one." She pauses. "Well, it almost works out that way if you don't count Amelia's son. He falls under both categories. But then again, Violet's still holding on, so I guess it does work out after all." She smiles.

"I never really thought of it like that." He glances down at his son and pulls on the baby's pajamas. He carefully stands up and walks over to the changing table.

She takes his place in the rocking chair and readjusts the footrest so it's in front again. She props her feet up and leans back, closing her eyes. She doesn't mean to fall asleep, but she's that tired, so of course she'd end up passing out the second she relaxed.

He turns his head and laughs. He looks back down at his half awake son and presses a kiss to his stomach. "Like momma like son."

Emmett makes a soft cooing sound and lazily kicks his legs.

Cooper smiles. He changes the newborn and carries him over to his crib. He sets him down and watches him shift and drift off to sleep, his hands clenched into tiny fists, his body somewhat contorted. "Goodnight, little man." He walks over to Charlotte and drapes a blanket over her. He presses a soft kiss to her forehead and lets out a breath.

Charlotte turns her head and pulls on the blanket. She lets out a string of hums and swallows.

He crawls onto the couch and rests his head down on the small square pillow, tucking his arm underneath it to prop himself up a little. He spends the next hour and a half looking between his sleeping wife and his three soundly sleeping babies before he eventually passes out from exhaustion.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

It's close to four in the afternoon, and Violet was taken back to the OR nearly an hour ago, so the Seaside Health and Wellness doctors are in the waiting room, anxiously sitting around making light, meaningless conversation.

Charlotte walks in and looks around. "Where's Cooper?"

Addison shrugs. "He was just here. I thought he left to go find you."

"I wasn't missin'. I only went to the bathroom." Charlotte sighs. "If you hear any news 'bout Violet, text me." She offers the redhead a small smile and leaves the room again, in search of her disappearing, distraught husband. As she walks down the hallway, something possesses her to check the hospital daycare, so that's where she goes first.

"Good afternoon, Dr. King."

Charlotte nods. "Is Dr. Freedman here by any chance?"

The woman nods. "He's in the back with the triplets."

"Thank you." Charlotte smiles at the woman and makes her way to the back. "I knew I'd find you here." She heads over to Cooper, who's currently lying on his stomach on the floor.

He turns his head away from the triplets, who are all lined up on their stomachs in front of him, and smiles up at his wife. "Hey."

She gets down on the floor and leans against the couch. "Looks like you tired Emmett and Isabelle out." She laughs.

He runs his fingers through their hair and watches Dylan wiggle around and lift his head, completely oblivious to his brother and sister. "I couldn't sit in that room anymore," he says, dangling a rattle in front of his son's face.

She half smiles as the newborn follows the object with his eyes for a few seconds. "I can't believe how big they are."

"Me either. It seems like only yesterday that I was talking to them in your stomach." He sits up and messes up his son's dirty blonde hair.

Dylan starts to fuss, wiggling around more and bobbing his head.

Charlotte rolls him over so he's lying on his back, which ultimately calms him down. "You've had it with tummy time, huh, baby boy?" She smiles at her son. "I don't like lyin' on my stomach either. Never did."

Cooper dangles the rattle above Dylan's head and again, watches him follow the object briefly. He can't help but smile at his youngest son. He takes his eyes off him and looks between Emmett and Isabelle. He's still finding it hard to believe that he has four children. With what's happening with Violet, he's grateful he has three little babies to keep him busy and to distract him.

Charlotte rests her hand on his shoulder, leaning against him slightly and looking down at her three newborns. Suddenly her phone rings in her pocket. She takes it out and glances down at it. She swallows and opens the message. Her hand goes a little numb and she turns to look at Cooper. She's hesitant because she doesn't want to ruin the moment, but this is something that needs to be done. "Coop." She blinks back moisture and swallows again.

The second he looks at her, he knows. His face goes pale and his hands start to shake. "No."

She nibbles on the inside of her bottom lip and looks at him, her eyes glossed over. She doesn't know what to say to him, so she says nothing.

He leaps up abruptly and leaves the room.

His sudden movement wakes Emmett and Isabelle up and startles Dylan. All three of them start to wail and wiggle around. Charlotte sighs.

"Do you need some help, Dr. King?"

She looks up at the nurse who came to her rescue and then glances back at her screaming newborns. "What do you think?" She scoops up Isabelle and gently rocks her. "Shhhh. It's ok, Belle. Momma's got you," she whispers and then places a soft kiss on her forehead.

Soon, the newborn settles down in her mother's arms, her eyes falling shut again.

"That's my girl." Charlotte stands up and changes her daughter's diaper, before setting her down in the crib.

The nurse is busy consoling Emmett, so Charlotte picks up Dylan and sits in the rocking chair, cradling the newborn in her arms. She hums to him. She finds it helps calm him down. She moves forward and back on the chair until he's quiet. She presses her lips against his warm cheek and smoothes down his hair. "All better." She changes his diaper too and puts him down beside his sister in the crib. She turns around and watches the nurse set Emmett down, so Isabelle is squished between her brothers. The nurses discovered yesterday that the triplets sleep more soundly when they're together. "Thank you."

"Is everything ok? I thought you weren't coming back to work until Monday."

Charlotte sighs. "I'm not." She pauses. "You know Dr. Turner, don't you?"

The nurse nods. "Of course."

"Well, there was an incident involvin' her and one of her patients, so that's why I'm here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my husband." Charlotte half smiles and walks out of the room.

* * *

Charlotte walks into the OR waiting room some twenty minutes later. Her colleagues are still sitting there, trying to process what they just heard. She turns her head and her chest tightens when she sees Lucas playing with Mason in the corner. She sniffles and sits down beside Addison. "I can't find Cooper." She pauses. "I found him, but I lost him again," she corrects.

"Check the morgue," Amelia suggests.

"Not funny, Amelia," Charlotte snaps.

"No, I mean that he's probably in the morgue with Violet."

"Oh." Charlotte nods and stands up. She heads back out of the room and disappears down the hallway. She peeks through the window on the door to the morgue and nods. She pushes the door open and pads over to Cooper. She silently hooks her arm around his waist.

Cooper runs his hand over Violet's hair and brushes his thumb against her pale cheek. "It's not—this isn't happening."

Charlotte lets out a breath. "Come on, Coop. Let's go home."

He just stands there, staring. "She was fine yesterday. I talked to her and told her a story about how Emmett smiled at me that morning." He pauses. "Now—." He leans over and presses a kiss to his best friend's forehead. "We're gonna take good care of Lucas, Vi. Don't worry. He's in good hands," he whispers, his voice cracking.

Charlotte swallows, drawing her bottom lip into her mouth and sucking on it, in attempt to keep the tears at bay.

"I love you. I'm sorry this happened and I'm sorry I wasn't there." He looks up and the morgue technician is staring at him and waiting. He nods and steps back from the table. He turns to Charlotte and almost immediately collapses against her, wrapping his arms around her.

She sighs and completes the embrace.

They stand there, just like that, for almost ten minutes.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

When Charlotte and Cooper get home, it's close to 7:30. She's beyond exhausted, her feet are sore, her back is killing her, she has a monster of a headache, and her eyes are on fire, but with Cooper basically useless, the nightly routine falls on her shoulders. By the time the babies are fed, changed, and set down in their cribs, it's after eight, and she's even more exhausted because Emmett and Isabelle went down without much of a fight, but Dylan screamed every time Charlotte tried to lay him down in his crib. His screaming threatened to wake his brother and sister, but fortunately for Charlotte, that didn't happen. She decided to rock him to sleep and then put him in his crib. With the nursery finally quiet, she walks across the hall and into Mason's bedroom. She smiles. "Somethin' funny, you two?"

Mason shakes his head. "No, momma."

"Mmhmm. I see how it is." She walks over to her son and kisses the top of his head.

"Do I have to go to bed?"

"You don't have to go to sleep right this minute, but you have to be quiet. Until we get Lucas' room set up, he'll be sleeping in here with you and he _has_ to go to bed right now."

Mason nods. "Can I watch TV in your room until nine? Please?"

She sighs. "Not tonight." She looks at Lucas and sits on the edge of the other twin bed, running her hand over the little boy's reddish brown hair.

"Where's my mommy?" Lucas asks, looking at Charlotte with wide, blue eyes.

She sighs. She told him before they left the hospital, but she remembers the conversation she had with Violet months ago right after Pete died and she figures she'll have to repeat herself a few hundred times before the four year-old understands what's going on. "You remember how I told you that she's with your daddy up in heaven?"

Lucas nods.

She smiles at him.

"Monkey man?"

"He should be 'round here somewhere. Hold on." She gets off the bed and looks through the stuff they grabbed from Violet's house. She pulls the red and monkey from the pile and walks back over to Lucas, handing him the stuffed animal. "Here you go, fella." She pulls the covers up to his neck and gives him a kiss.

Lucas smiles, hugging the monkey close to his chest. He shifts on the mattress and closes his eyes.

"Goodnight." She switches off the light and looks at Mason. "Nine o'clock, mister, not a minute later, you got it?"

Mason nods. "Yes, momma."

"And keep quiet."

Mason nods. "Is dad ok?"

"I don't know, Mase, but he will be, eventually. Violet was his best friend."

"Are we gonna have a party for her like we did for Pete? 'Cause that was weird."

"It's what Pete wanted."

"It was still weird," he whispers.

Charlotte lets out a breath. "Your daddy's not gonna be much help this week, so I'm gonna need you to pitch in." She pauses. "I mostly need you to keep Lucas entertained for me. You can do that, can't you?"

Mason nods. "I guess." He pauses. "Is Lucas my little brother now?"

"Not officially, but he will be."

"Cool."

Charlotte smiles. "I'm goin' to bed. If you need me, you know where to find me."

Mason nods. "Night, momma."

"Night, sweetie." She heads out of the room, leaving the door open slightly. She lets out a breath and stands in the hallway for a minute.

* * *

Charlotte heads to her bedroom and pushes open the door. "Coop?"

Cooper's lying in bed, rolled onto his side, facing the window. His eyes are open and unfocused as he stares.

She creeps in and turns on her bedside lamp. "Coop?" She repeats—nothing. She sighs and disappears into the bathroom. She comes back out and changes into a tank top and plaid pajama pants. She crawls into bed and scoots closer to her husband, slinging her arm around him as she settles up against his back.

He lifts his arm and rests it on top of hers, his thumb brushing against her hand. He lets out an audible sigh and shifts.

She closes her eyes and swallows. "It's gonna be ok."

He nods, his eyes continuing to stare off into space.

Her heart aches for him. She sighs. Despite her exhaustion, she doesn't end up falling asleep until after midnight. Her insomnia caused partly by her nauseating headache, but mainly by the simple fact that she could hear her husband's hushed sobs and shaky breaths as she laid behind him. Knowing your partner is hurting and you can't do a damn thing about it, would keep anyone up.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

Charlotte's leaning against a nurses' station on the fifth floor, her eyes closed and her arm bent on the counter with her head resting on her hand. She has a pen between her fingers and a patient file open.

Addison slides up beside the blonde and glances at her. She raises an eyebrow and nudges her.

Charlotte jerks and lifts her head. "Huh, what?" She pushes her hair out of her face and swallows. She straightens out, rolling her neck out. "Oh, hey, Addison."

"Um, are you ok?" Addison asks, handing the nurse a binder.

"I'm fine."

"You look like crap."

Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"How's Cooper doing?"

Charlotte shakes her head. "Not good. I have to force him to eat, he only gets out of bed to go to the bathroom, he's been in the same clothes for almost two weeks now, he hasn't shaved, and he hasn't muttered a single word since we left the hospital that night." She sighs. "I go home at lunch just to check on 'im, just to make sure he's still breathin', just to make sure he hasn't tried to jump out of our bedroom window."

"I didn't realize it was that bad."

"It's that bad." Charlotte wipes the corners of her mouth and conceals a yawn. She closes the patient file and walks around the counter. She sets the binder in the proper slot and slips the pen back into her breast pocket. She rubs her grainy eyes and fights back another yawn. "I have to get back to work."

"Have you eaten lunch yet? I was about to grab something from the cafeteria if you want to join me."

Charlotte shakes her head. "I don't have time for lunch right now, but thanks for the offer." She stumbles forward a little, but catches herself on the wall.

"You ok?"

Charlotte nods. "I'm fine." She continues down the hallway and slips into the elevator.

* * *

At around 4:30, Charlotte's sitting on the fourth floor stairwell landing at the practice, pressed up against the railing, her body trembling, her heart racing, her breathing slow and labored, tears pouring down her cheeks, and her nose red and runny. The door opens and quickly shuts. She feels a gust of wind, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees someone sit down beside her.

"Charlotte?"

She takes in a shaky breath and swallows. Her head turns slowly, and she blinks back tears. Once her vision isn't as blurry, she realizes that the person sitting next to her is Jake. She sniffles and quickly wipes off her cheeks and rubs her eyes. She clears her throat and shifts. "I'm fine."

"If you're fine, why are you in the stairwell?" Jake smiles at her. "You look like you could use some wine."

She shrugs.

Jake stands up and holds out his hand.

She reluctantly takes it and pushes herself up. "I'm fine," she repeats, but follows Jake down the stairs and to his office. She sits on his couch and focuses on catching her breath.

Jake opens a bottle of wine and pours two glasses. He walks over to Charlotte and hands her one before sitting down beside her.

She stares at the liquid for a few seconds before taking a small sip, then another. She sets the glass down and leans back on the couch.

He picks up a bowl from the table and looks at her. "Chocolate?"

She takes one and unwraps the foil. She bites into it and smiles. "Thank you."

"Everything ok?"

She swallows and shakes her head. "No, everything is _not_ ok." She pauses. "I can't handle all this. It's too much."

Jake blinks.

"I'm tryin' to be supportive, I'm tryin' to be understandin', but I can't take it anymore!" She pauses. "He just lies in bed all day, staring out that damn window, and I swear the babies have figured out that they outnumber me three to one. Plus, Lucas hasn't stopped askin' where Violet is since we took him home, and I'm runnin' out of ways to explain it to him. Then there's Mason, who has decided that he'd rather spend every second with his friends than help me with his brothers and sister." She sighs. "I can't handle all this. For the first couple days it was fine, I could manage, but since I've gone back to work, it's just—it's too much." She finishes her wine and blows out a puff of air.

Jake rests his hand on her shoulder and presses his fingers into her sore muscles.

She shifts and closes her eyes.

He balls his other hand into a fist and kneads his knuckles into her back. "Just take a few deep breaths in and let them out slowly," he whispers.

She nods.

He twists his body and manipulates hers, so he can continue massaging her. "This is how I get Addison to relax after a particularly stressful day."

She smiles and raises an eyebrow. "Then I can see why she loves you," she jokes. She sucks in air and winces.

"Sorry."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. Keep goin'."

He nods and spends the next half hour massaging every inch of her back and shoulders. "Lie down."

"Why?"

"Just lie down, Charlotte."

She shifts and lies on her back on his couch, propping herself up a little with a pillow.

He scoots down and takes off her heels, setting them under the coffee table. He picks up her left foot and slowly presses his thumbs into the sole. "Just take a few deep breaths in and let them out," he repeats.

She lets her eyes fall shut, and without meaning to, she ends up falling asleep.

He finishes her foot rub and stands up. He drapes a blanket over her and leaves his office. He shuts his door quietly and leaves.

* * *

Charlotte wakes up, jerking her shoulders as she sits up abruptly. She rubs her eyes and looks around. She swings her legs, so her feet are on the floor, and twists her upper body towards Jake's desk. She swallows and fights back a yawn.

Jake smiles. "Have a good nap?"

"What time is it?" She asks, completely forgetting that she has a watch on.

He looks at his computer screen and then back at her. "A quarter to seven."

She blinks and slowly stands up. She stumbles a little, but quickly composes herself. She smoothes down her blouse and combs her fingers through her tangled blonde hair.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a freight train." She pauses. "It's gonna take a lot more than some wine, a two hour nap, and a fifteen minute massage to make me feel any better, but thanks for tryin'."

"Any time."

She sits back down on his couch and closes her eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"I—I don't want to go home yet." She pauses. "It's quiet here, and I have a headache."

"Have you eaten?"

She looks at her watch. "Not since ten." She holds up her hand. "Don't."

He shakes his head and smiles at her. "How does Chinese sound?"

"That's a temptin' offer, Jake, but I can't. I don't want to go home, but I have to. Thanks, though." She pauses. "Can I just sit here for a little bit?"

"Sure." He opens his desk drawer and tosses a granola bar at her.

She smiles and shifts on the couch, getting a little comfier. She peels back the wrapper and takes a bite. She's starving. She turns her head and looks at Jake, who has gone back to work. "I hope I'm not keepin' you here."

He shakes his head. "You're not. I have some work to finish up before I head home. Addison's delivering the Henderson baby, so I'm going to surprise at the hospital when I'm done here."

"Oh, ok." She lets out a breath and leans back. She closes her eyes and enjoys the last bit of her honey granola bar. She's missed this, someone other than Cooper looking out for her at work. It's nice, especially now with Cooper in the state he's in, and Pete not being here.

* * *

_Please review :)_


	8. Chapter 8

Another couple days pass and it's nearly three in the morning. Charlotte's just on the cusp of falling asleep when she's startled fully awake.

"Charlotte. Charlotte. Charlotte!"

She jerks and opens her eyes. She swallows. "Honey, I'm right here. What?" She rolls over to face Cooper and rests her hand on his shoulder. "I'm here."

Cooper lets out a breath and shifts on the mattress.

She tugs at his shoulder and sits up, leaning back on her pillows. "What's wrong?" She's not happy about being woken up, but it's nice to hear his voice again.

He rolls onto his back and pushes himself up. He turns his head and looks at her, actually focusing on her.

She conceals a yawn and brushes her hair out of her face. "You need somethin'?"

He shakes his head. "Just making sure you're still here."

"Where would I go?"

He shrugs.

She offers him a soft sleepy smile and lets out a breath. "Why would I go?" She rephrases.

He just looks at her.

She knows what he's thinking. She knows exactly what he's thinking and why he's thinking it because it's the same thing she thought about after her rape. She had the same fears as she surmises he has right now. She wants to tell him he's crazy for thinking that she'd leave him because of all this, but she can't. Not only because she felt the same way a couple years ago, but also because on Tuesday, she expressed to Jake that this was becoming too much for her.

He looks away from her and rolls back over, facing the window again.

She squeezes his upper arm. "I'm not goin' anywhere." She feels his shoulder drop and hears him let out a relieved sigh. After a long pause, she starts, "Cooper."

He twitches, acknowledging her.

"How much longer is this gonna continue? I was tryin' to let you grieve on your own schedule, but I'm losin' patience. I get that Violet meant a lot to you, and I'm not askin' you to be fine, but you can't keep lyin' here, starin' at the window all damn day," she finally says now that she feels she has his attention.

He clutches his pillowcase and clenches his jaw. He turns over and sits up. He glares at her. "She is—was my best friend!"

She reaches over and turns on her bedside lamp. She sighs. "I know she was, Cooper. Did you not here me say that I'm not askin' you to be fine? You can grieve as long as your pretty little heart desires, but you need to move on. You have responsibilities. Violet's gone. You lyin' here, wastin' away, isn't gonna bring her back."

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know my best friend's dead? I do. That's why I'm lying here!"

"Don't yell at me, Cooper."

"I'm not yelling _at _you. I'm just yelling." He pauses. "And I can't just snap out of this, Charlotte. She was my best friend. She's been there for me through everything."

"Again, I'm not askin' you to be fine, Cooper." She pauses. "I get that she was your best friend, but you can't just forget about your responsibilities."

He just rolls back over on his side, facing the window again. "Just leave me alone, Charlotte."

"Fine by me because I have no energy to fight with you right now, and you know why I don't have the energy to fight with you right now? Well, while you've been lyin' here, starin' at that damn window, I've been workin' and takin' care of _our _kids. All _**five **_of them," she emphasizes. "I'll be in the guestroom." She kicks off the sheets and gets out a bed. She wraps herself in her bathrobe, puts on her slippers, and grabs her pillow. She takes the baby monitor from her bedside table and walks out of the room, heading down the hallway towards the guestroom, a thin layer of tears forming in her eyes.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews. Glad you guys like this story. :)_

**A/N: **_Happier chapters are coming, so don't worry. __  
_

_Anyway, keep reviewing! _


	9. Chapter 9

On Saturday afternoon, Charlotte's sitting on the floor in the nursery, watching the triplets wiggle around and move their eyes around the room. She shifts on the rug and laughs. "Belle, don't punch your brother."

Isabelle stretches and kicks her legs.

Charlotte scoots closer to the babies and rubs her daughter's stomach, tickling her a little. "Pretty girl."

Isabelle glances at her mother and giggles, lifting her legs up and down. She smiles and reaches up, smacking herself in the face by accident.

Charlotte smiles. "What'd you do that for, baby girl?" She looks at Dylan, who's on the right of Isabelle.

The nine week old boy is staring at his sister, cooing, kicking his legs, and lifting his head slightly.

"You three are wide awake. That's a first. Usually two of ya are knocked out." Charlotte turns her head and looks at Emmett, who isn't at all interested in the two babies to his right. He's too fascinated with his hands. She smiles.

The door is pushed open and Lucas walks in, holding his stuffed monkey under his arm.

"Hi, fella."

Lucas walks over to her and plops down. He smiles. "Hi." He looks at the three babies lying on their backs in front of him and crawls around them, so he's sitting by Isabelle's head. He runs his hand through the baby's blonde hair and adjusts himself so he's on his knees.

"Be gentle, sweetie."

Isabelle turns her head and reaches her arms up.

Lucas takes her right hand and holds it. "Hi, Belle."

Isabelle gurgles and wiggles around, smiling.

"I think she likes you."

"I like her too." Lucas pauses. "Is Cooper still sad?"

Charlotte sighs. "Mmhmm."

"I'm sad too." Lucas lets go of Isabelle's hand and leans down, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead.

"Aren't you sweet?"

Lucas kisses Emmett and Dylan the same way and smiles.

"Come here."

Lucas crawls back around and climbs into Charlotte's lap, leaning back against her and tilting his head so he's looking up at her.

"You're sad? How come?"

"I miss my mommy and daddy." He looks away from her and stares up at the ceiling.

Charlotte kisses him on the side of his head and nods. "Cooper misses your momma too. He's gonna be ok, just like you are, 'cause we're here to help him be ok."

Lucas nods.

"So what do you want your room to be like?"

"Spaceships and I want it to be blue."

Charlotte smiles. "We can make that happen."

Lucas claps. "Yay!"

"You want Mac-n-Cheese for dinner tonight? Or a hamburger?"

"Hamburger!"

"Calm down, sweetie." She wraps her arms around him and kisses the side of his head again.

Lucas gets up off Charlotte's lap and pushes himself to his feet. He runs into the hallway and stops.

"Where you headed?"

"My room."

"You don't wanna hang out in here with me?"

"No." Lucas laughs and instead of going to his room, he heads down the hall to the master bedroom.

Charlotte doesn't notice. She's looking at the babies again, trying to focus on their smiling faces instead of Cooper. Their fight didn't do anything. He's still lying in bed, staring at the window, and she's still sleeping in the guestroom.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and reviewing :)_


	10. Chapter 10

Lucas pushes the master bedroom door open and walks over to the bed. He climbs up onto the mattress and crawls over to the pillows. He tugs on Cooper's shirt sleeve. "Cooper." He pauses. "Coooper." He sighs. "Cooooooper!" He pushes at his shoulder.

Cooper jerks, finally responding.

"Knock, knock. Are you there?" Lucas giggles.

Cooper slowly rolls onto his back and turns his head, looking at the four year-old. His eyes are dull and unfocused, but at least they're open.

Lucas brushes his hand against Cooper's cheek and cringes. "Ow. You're all scratchy." He pauses. "Charlotte says you're sad."

Cooper shifts a little.

"I don't think she likes it when you're sad."

Cooper nods.

"She says you really, really miss my mommy."

"I do," Cooper whispers, finally speaking, his voice cracking slightly.

Lucas leans back against the pillows. He looks up at the ceiling and smiles. "Mason says I can talk to my mommy and daddy all the time. They're really, really high up, but they can hear me."

Cooper smiles.

"He says you and Charlotte are gonna take good care of me forever and ever too."

Cooper nods. He hasn't been doing much of that lately, but Charlotte definitely has.

"He talks to his mommy at bedtime. He looks up and says stuff. He teached me." Lucas tilts his head and looks up at the ceiling again. "I love you mommy and daddy. I miss you a lot." He presses his palm to his lips and blows a kiss up into the air. He looks at Cooper. "Your turn."

Cooper swallows and feels tears push at the back of his eyes.

Lucas nudges him. "My mommy can hear you. All you gotta do is talk."

"Vi," he sighs, and purses his lips.

"What do you wanna say?"

"I miss her. I really miss her."

Lucas nods and turns back to the ceiling. "Mommy, Cooper says he really misses you."

Cooper rubs his eyes and pulls on the covers.

Lucas rolls onto his side, facing Cooper. "Are you _ever_ gonna get up?"

Cooper just stares at the little boy, unsure how to answer his question. He knows he needs to get up, he knows he needs to start living his life again, he knows he needs to start being a husband, a father, a doctor again, but he just feels lost without Violet. He's been thinking about the fight he had with Charlotte the other night. He'd always go to Violet for advice. He'd call her or go over to her house or grab a cup of coffee with her and she'd always tell him he needed to see where Charlotte was coming from and apologize. As he lied in bed alone that night, he finally started to grasp the fact that Violet's not here to run to. She's not here to tell him what to do. He's beginning to realize just how much he depends—depended on her.

Lucas shifts and tugs on Cooper's shirt sleeve. "I'm sad sometimes too."

Cooper blinks back tears and messes up Lucas' reddish-brown hair.

"I'll try really hard not to be sad if you try."

Cooper sighs. It's not that simple, but if Lucas can be as calm as he is after losing both his parents in less than a year, than surely he can try and be ok, he can try and move forward. "Is Charlotte sad?"

"A little. She looks really, really, really tired."

Cooper nods. "Can you remind me to thank her? Do you think you can do that?"

Lucas nods. "I can."

Cooper smiles and lets out a breath.

Lucas gives Cooper a kiss on the cheek. "Cooper?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you take the bear off your face now? I don't like it. It's all scratchy. It hurts."

"I'll do that right now." Cooper pauses. "Did Charlotte say anything about dinner?"

Lucas nods. "Hamburgers."

Cooper rests his hand on his stomach and smiles. He gets out of bed and walks over to the bathroom. He looks back at Lucas and says, "Thanks, buddy."

Lucas shrugs. "I didn't do anything."

"You did a lot." Cooper smiles and disappears into the bathroom, shutting the door. He looks up at the ceiling and twists his hands in front of him. He hesitates, but finally finds the words and finds the courage to speak. "I told you we'd take good care of him for you, Vi. I haven't, but Charlotte has and Mason's helping him get through this. He's in good hands." He sighs. "I love you and I know you're always here if I need to talk. Thanks for everything. I miss you, but I'll be ok." He finishes with a sigh and undresses. He slips into the shower and spends the next twenty or so minutes thinking about how on Earth he's going to make these last few weeks up to Charlotte.

* * *

**_Hope you liked this somewhat happy chapter :)_**

**_Thanks for the reviews...keep them coming._**


	11. Chapter 11

After setting the babies in their cribs, Charlotte heads down the hallway to the master bedroom. She opens the door and stops in the doorway. She rubs her eyes and swallows. She's half asleep, having just woken up from a short nap, so she doesn't believe what she sees. Lucas is curled in a ball, his arms around a clean and shaven Cooper, their legs overlapped. They're both asleep, the little boy's head resting on Cooper's shoulder. She smiles and quietly disappears into the bathroom. When she comes out, she walks around the bed and runs her fingers through her husband's damp hair and brushes her hand against his smooth jaw.

Cooper opens his eyes slowly and blinks away sleep. He tilts his head and looks up at her.

"Hi, handsome," she whispers.

"Hi, beautiful," he whispers back and carefully shifts, adjusting Lucas' arm. "You ok?"

She nods. "Wha—I don't get it. You took a shower, you shaved, you changed the sheets and your clothes."

"Good observation."

She squints at him. "Clearly, what I said didn't register, so what changed?"

He turns his head and looks at Lucas sideways. He combs his fingers through the little boy's red hair and smiles. "He talked to me, got me thinking, that's all."

"So are you ok?"

"I'm not ok, but I'm better. Violet not being around, it's gonna be a big adjustment. I'm still not used to it. When we had that fight the other night, it really hit me that she's not here. She always told me what to do, always told me how to make it ok between us."

"She's not here, but I am. You can talk to me. That's what you should be doin', that's what you should have always been doin'. I may act like I'm not listenin', but I always am."

Lucas stirs and pushes himself up off Cooper's chest. He yawns and rubs his eyes, falling back against the pillows. He swallows and notices Charlotte. "Hi."

She smiles. "Hi, sleepyhead. You hungry?"

Lucas nods. "Really hungry."

"Me too." She pauses. "Go wash up for dinner."

Lucas crawls off the bed and walks over to the door. He stops and turns around. "Oh, Cooper. You gotta say thank you to Charlotte."

Cooper nods. "Thanks for reminding me, buddy."

Lucas just smiles and walks down the hallway.

Cooper pats the space beside him and looks at Charlotte. "Come here."

She gets on the bed and scoots closer to him. She wraps her arms around him and places her head on his shoulder, tugging at his shirt as she rubs his chest.

Cooper's arm loops around her back, his hand on her hip. He turns his head and presses a kiss into her hair. "Thank you."

She looks at him and smiles.

He pushes her hair out of her face and smiles back at her. "I don't know how I'm gonna make this up to you. You're amazing. Taking care of five kids by yourself—I couldn't do it."

"I didn't have a choice." She sighs and gives him a soft peck just above his collar. "I really missed you, Coop." She sniffles and clutches the fabric of his shirt in her hands.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She lets out a breath and shifts.

"Are you coming, Charlotte?" Lucas calls from the hallway.

She separates from Cooper's warm body and looks at him. "You hungry? Lucas wants hamburgers for dinner."

"He told me, and yes, I'm starving."

"You want me to bring them up to you?"

He shakes his head. "I'll be downstairs in a couple minutes."

"Ok." She slips off the mattress and walks towards the door.

"After dinner, I want you to take a nice long bath and just relax. I'll take care of everything else, including the babies."

"Cooper—."

"No. You look exhausted. Working six to ten hour shifts and then having to come home and cook, clean, and take care of five kids by yourself for the past three weeks—you're done. I want you to relax tonight."

She grunts.

"Do you really wanna argue with me, Charlotte?"

"No. It's been exhaustin'."

He gets out of bed and closes the gap between them. He rests his hands on her shoulders as he leans in to kiss her on the lips. He kneads his thumbs into her sore muscles and gives her another kiss. "I'm sorry."

"You're grievin'. I could never understand your relationship with Violet, so I'm not about to try and understand why it's taken you three weeks to act human again. You don't need to apologize. They're my kids too." She pauses. "Mason helped me some and Lucas has been helpin' me too, so I wasn't completely alone. Plus, bein' alone with the babies, bein' their sole caregiver, it was actually nice. It was hard and I couldn't handle doin' it all the time, but it was nice."

He smiles. "I'll be down in the kitchen in a few minutes. I'm gonna spend some time with the babies. I'll bring them downstairs with me. I've missed them."

"They've missed you too, especially Belle. Not like they could tell me, but I could just sense that they missed their daddy."

"We're ok, right?"

She nods. "Of course, Coop. We were never not ok. I was just frustrated and exhausted."

"I'm sorry," he repeats. "And grieving is no excuse for neglecting my family, so don't tell me I don't have to apologize. Violet would have said something to me like she did when I was spending so much time with Erica after we got back from Seattle."

"I thought I could handle it, takin' care of everythin', lettin' you grieve the way you needed to grieve, but I couldn't handle it. I broke down in the stairwell at the practice 'cause I couldn't handle it. Jake was there for me, though. He's not Pete or you, but he was there." She pauses. "I should probably start cookin' dinner."

"This probably goes without saying, but you are sleeping in here tonight, right?"

"Course I am." She smiles and heads down the hallway. _Thank God. _

He pulls on his shirt and leaves the bedroom, walking into the nursery.

* * *

**_Thanks for reading and reviewing :)_**


	12. Chapter 12

It's three in the morning, and Cooper's in the nursery, holding Isabelle in his arms. He brushes his hand over her blonde head and skims his thumb across her warm, clammy cheek. He shifts and adjusts the baby, trying not to wake her back up, seeing as he just got her settled down two minutes ago.

A few minutes later, Isabella starts to squirm, whimpering quietly, her eyes popping open. She sneezes three times in a row and coughs, crying louder and harder now.

Cooper wipes her nose with a tissue and sighs. "Bless you times three, Jelly-Belly." He rubs her stomach and rocks back and forth, trying to calm his sick daughter down. "You're ok, princess." He adjusts the position of her head and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Shhhh." He wipes away her tears and smiles at her. "Daddy loves you," he whispers. He looks up when he hears his two sons start to cry, which sets off Isabelle again.

Charlotte appears in the doorway a couple minutes later, looking like she literally just rolled out of bed. She pushes her hair out of her face and rubs her eyes. She walks over to Dylan's crib and looks down at the squirmy baby. She notices his nose is runny and his cheeks are flush, his skin pale otherwise, so she scoops her son into her arms and cradles him. She kisses his forehead and nods, confirming what she suspected—he's sick too. She walks past her daughter's empty crib and looks down at Emmett. "Bless you, fella," she whispers when he sneezes. She sighs and turns to look at Cooper. "Wasn't expectin' this."

He shakes his head. "I knew once one was sick, it was only a matter of time before one or both of the others caught it, even if we took every precaution to avoid that scenario."

She rocks Dylan and nods. "How's Belle's fever?"

"It's coming down, but her stomach's acting up a little. I had to change her three times in the last twenty minutes."

"Oh, man. Should we take her to the hospital?" She's aware that he's a pediatrician and that she's a doctor herself, but that doesn't mean she's still not concerned.

"No need for that. Her fever isn't high enough to warrant a hospital visit and the medicine is helping. The two main concerns are dehydration and keeping her fever below 102 degrees. Right now it's 101.1" He pauses. "They'll be ok. It's most likely just a bug."

She nods. "Yeah, you're probably right." Her voice is slightly shaky when she says that, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Sweetie, they're fine. I take care of sick kids all day." He pauses and sighs. "I'm worried, though, so it's ok if you are."

She smiles and carries Dylan over to the changing table. She looks down at the baby and tweaks his nose. "Don't worry, fella, momma's got you."

Dylan starts to cough, some vomit coming up.

She immediately turns him, acting fast, and rubs his back.

Dylan continues to cough, jerking his shoulders.

She carefully picks him up and sets him against her shoulder.

Dylan screams and squirms.

She adjusts him and quickly discovers the reason for his screams. "I'm just gonna go ahead and give him a bath. The warmish-cool water should help his fever."

He nods. "Ok." He pauses. "Just relax."

She smiles at him. "You picked the best time to come out of your funk, Coop, 'cause I'm gonna need your help big time."

He nods. "You have it. Go, concentrate on Dyl. I can handle the other two."

She fights back a yawn and sighs. "It's gonna be a long night."

"For us? Or for them?"

"For both." She walks out of the nursery and into the bathroom across the hall.

* * *

Charlotte's standing at the bathroom counter, brushing a cool, damp washcloth over her son's warm skin, watching him look around and focus on her for a few seconds at time. She can't get enough of his big blue eyes, but this morning, they're a duller shade, more grey than blue. Her hand is shaking as she continues to wipe down Dylan's skin.

The bathroom door opens and she expects it to be Cooper, but when she turns her head, her heart sinks a little.

Lucas drops Monkey Man on the floor and scurries over to the toilet.

Charlotte sighs.

Lucas starts to cry, squirming a little in his pajamas.

_Oh, brother. _She looks at Dylan and finishes washing him. She wraps him in a towel and then turns her head to Lucas. "Stay here, fella. I'll be right back." She offers him a sympathetic smile and walks across the hallway, back into the nursery. "Coop, we have a problem."

He looks over at her, looking away from Emmett, who he's currently changing. "What's that?"

"Lucas is sick too."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kiddin', Coop?"

He sighs. "Alright, um, let me just finish up here."

She nods and sits in the rocking chair, adjusting Dylan in her arms.

"I got Belle back to sleep."

"That's good."

He smoothes the diaper tabs over and messes up Emmett's hair. "That's better." He picks him up and walks over to the crib. He sets the newborn down and smiles at him. "Try and relax, little man," he whispers and looks at his wife. "How's Dylan?"

She glances down and smiles. "He's asleep, but he's not gonna stay that way for long. I have to put a diaper on him and he's bound to wake up."

"He'll quiet down eventually if he does wake up. He just loves his momma."

She nods. "He does, doesn't he?"

"Where's Lucas?"

"In the bathroom. He, um, didn't make it to the toilet in time so he soiled his pajamas."

"Ok." He walks out of the nursery and into the hall bathroom.

She pulls back the towel a little and runs her hand down Dylan's chest. "Alright, Dyl." She stands up and makes her way across the room to the changing table, trying to be super quiet as to not wake the two other sleeping babies. "Please, stay asleep," she whispers as she starts to put Dylan in a fresh diaper. Her prayers, however, are short lived. She sighs. "That was too much to ask, huh, Dyl?" She walks over to the mini-fridge and grabs a bottle full of electrolyte juice. She sinks into the rocking chair again and slips the nipple into her son's mouth, watching him suck out the clear liquid. She leans back and closes her eyes, taking in the silence.

* * *

Cooper carries Lucas into his bedroom and tucks him back in. He kisses the top of his head and hands the little boy his stuffed monkey. "Try and get some sleep, buddy."

"I want my mommy!"

Cooper's chest tightens and tears push at his eyes. He swallows and nods. "I'll go get you a drink to wash down the icky medicine I just gave you. Just relax." He walks out of the room and returns a few minutes later. He sits on the edge of the bed and looks at Lucas. "Drink some of this. It'll make you feel better."

Lucas knocks the plastic cup out of Cooper's grip and pulls on the covers. "I want my mommy!"

Cooper shakes out his hand, which is now covered in red tinted liquid. He lets out a breath, his eyes glossing over. He gives Lucas another kiss and tucks him in tighter. "Goodnight, buddy. If you need anything, Charlotte and I are both here."

"I want my mommy!" The little boy repeats, his voice a little hoarse almost like it was caught in his throat. Tears well up in his blue eyes and spill over his bottom lids.

Cooper swallows hard and just stands there. He doesn't know what to do. Things have gone so smoothly since they brought him home from the hospital that night—at least from what Charlotte's been telling him, but then again, wanting your mommy when you're sick isn't that uncommon. He sighs. "Lucas, buddy, just try and sleep, ok? You'll feel better."

"I want my mommy!" Lucas isn't giving up on it.

Mason walks into the room, hunched over slightly, his hair a mess.

"Don't tell me you're sick too."

Mason shakes his head and yawns. "No, I feel fine." He pauses. "You can't expect me to sleep in this circus, can you?" He rubs his eyes. "I can talk to Lucas. I know what it's like to be sick and not have your mom around."

Cooper smiles. "Thanks, Mase."

"What are big brothers for, right?"

"Charlotte says you didn't help her much with the triplets."

"Well, either did you."

"Point taken, but—."

"I helped her, dad. I just got tired of doing your job every day. I just needed a break. I love my baby brothers and sister, I love Lucas, and I love momma, but I needed some time by myself with my friends."

Cooper nods. "I get it."

Mason walks over to the bed and sits on the edge of the mattress. "Hey, bud."

Cooper backs out of the room and heads into the nursery.

* * *

Cooper smiles at the sight of Charlotte passed out in the rocking chair, the three newborns quiet and settled in their cribs. He walks over to her and hesitates. He doesn't want to wake her up, but he knows how uncomfortable that chair is, having fallen asleep there many times. He nudges her a couple times and when she doesn't respond, he nudges her a third.

Charlotte jerks and lifts her head. She blinks her eyes open and stretches. "Huh, what?"

"Let's go to bed."

She looks at her watch and it's nearly four o'clock. "How's Lucas?"

"Mason's in his room, talking to him."

"Wait, what? Why?"

"Lucas, um, he kept sayin' that he wanted Violet, and Mason woke up—."

Her eyes twitch slightly. "He's not sick, is he?"

Cooper shakes his head. "No, he's fine. He woke up 'cause of the noise, but he offered to talk to Lucas. He knows what it's like to be sick and not have his mom around, so he thought maybe he could help."

"That was sweet of him."

He nods. "So we can go back to bed now because the babies are asleep and Mason's handling Lucas."

She lets out a breath and pushes herself out of the rocking chair. She hooks her arm around Cooper and leans against him slightly. She smiles at him and then they walk out of the nursery and down the hall to their bedroom, hoping to get a little sleep before the kids wake up again.

* * *

_Please Review :)_


	13. Chapter 13

Cooper's lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling fan. It's half past five and he can hear Charlotte snoring and the babies trying to breathe through stuffy noses. He can't sleep.

Charlotte stirs and rolls onto her side. She opens her eyes slowly and runs her hand down her husband's arm. "Coop?"

He turns his head and smiles. "Good morning."

She fights back a yawn. "Have you been up this whole time?"

He nods.

She scoots closer to him and curves her body around his, draping her arm over his chest. She frames his face with one hand, brushing her thumb against his cheekbone, and presses a kiss to his lips. "What's wrong?"

He doesn't answer her. He just pulls her even closer to him.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"You'll be mad if I tell you."

"Coop, just tell me."

He sighs. "When Lucas kept asking for Violet," he swallows, "I was fine and then boom, it hit me just like that. She's gone. She's not coming back. Lucas doesn't have parents anymore. There are gonna be times when he'll want Violet or Pete and there's nothing I can do to bring them back. I didn't even know how to handle it. I just stood there."

She pushes her lips against his jawbone and sighs. "What part of that was I s'posed to get mad at you for?" She pauses. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not askin' you to all of a sudden be ok with Violet dyin', Coop. We're takin' care of her son. He's a livin', breathin' reminder that she's not here. You'll be fine one minute and then you'll look at Lucas and crumble. I get that, I'm ok with that. There are tiny things that remind me of my daddy and I have to stop and take a breath just to keep myself together." She sighs. "I never had a problem with you grievin', I had a problem with the way you were handlin' your grief. There's a difference."

He nods. "This is gonna happen again and again, and I just—I don't know what to do."

"Of course you don't know what to do. You're an adult and both your parents are still alive. You don't know what it's like to lose a parent. I do, but even I can't understand how Lucas must feel. But we have a son who does and who says we can't let him help Lucas? No one's goin' to call us bad parents because we don't know what to do in this situation. No one, unless you've been there, would."

He smiles and shifts to lying on his side. He pulls her into a cuddle and closes his eyes. "Thanks." He pauses. "I love you."

She gets cozy in his arms and rests her head against his chest. "I love you too, Coop." Just as she gets comfortable again, the babies start to cry. She separates from her husband's grip and kicks off the covers. She gets off the bed and puts on her bathrobe and slippers. "I'm goin' to check on Lucas first. I'll meet ya in the nursery."

He nods and untangles himself from the sheets. He sits up and rubs his eyes. He covers his mouth as he yawns and stands up. He follows her out of the room and disappears into the nursery while she steps into Lucas' bedroom.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting on the couch, her legs propped up on the coffee table, with Dylan in her arms and Lucas asleep, sprawled out beside her with his head in her lap.

Cooper walks down the steps just as the phone rings. "I got it, don't get up." He picks up his pace to a light jog and grabs the phone just before the answering machine picks up, leaving him no time to check the caller ID. "Hello, Dr. Cooper Freedman speaking." He nods. "Ok, I'll be right there. Thanks." He hangs up the phone with a slight slam.

Dylan pops open his eyes and squirms. He starts cry, it quickly turning into more of a scream, which only causes him to cough.

Lucas stirs and gets off the couch. He trips on his own feet and falls down, hitting his head on the floor. He screams, tears cascading down his rosy cheeks.

Charlotte turns her head and glares at Cooper. "Thank you, Cooper. You're so incredibly helpful." She pauses. "Was that work?"

He shakes his head and picks Lucas up off the floor. He kisses his forehead and wipes away his tears. "You ok, buddy?"

"Ow." Lucas squirms.

Cooper quickly realizes that Lucas' pajama pants are wet. He puts the little boy down and messes up his hair. "Let's go get you cleaned and dry." He looks at Charlotte. "It was Dr. Richards, the principal at the elementary school. I have to go pick Mason up. He got into a fight with a kid. He's being suspended for two days."

"You're kiddin'." She sighs.

"I'll get Lucas changed and then I'll swing by the school and pick Mason up. At least he'll be home to help us out."

She nods and rocks Dylan, trying to soothe the crying newborn. "A fight? That doesn't sound like Mason."

"That's what the principal said. There were three other kids involved." He pauses. "Should I get the neighbor to come over and help with the kids or can you handle it?"

She runs her fingers through her son's hair. "You sayin' I can't handle it, Cooper? Did you forget that I'm the one who's been taking care of the kids the past two weeks?"

"Taking care of four sick kids is a lot different than taking care of four healthy ones. I was just offering you some extra hands while I was gone, that's all. I wasn't saying you couldn't handle it."

"I'm fine." She pushes her lips against her son's warm cheek.

Cooper leans down and gives her a kiss on the lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He looks at Lucas. "Come on, buddy." He nudges the little boy and they head upstairs.

Charlotte skims her thumb across her son's cheek and sighs. "Shhh." She continues to rock him slowly.

Dylan burps up vomit and starts to cry louder.

"Rockin' you was probably a bad idea, huh, fella?" She rests her son on her shoulder and pats his back. She lowers him again and wipes off his mouth. She stands up and carries him upstairs. _This is gonna be a long day._

* * *

**_Sorry for the delay :) _**

**_Please review!_**


	14. Chapter 14

Charlotte's passed out on the couch when Cooper walks in the front door with Mason. "Go upstairs, Mason."

"Am I in trouble?" Mason asks, pulling the ice away from his eye.

Cooper nods. "Yes."

"What am I looking at? No dessert for a week? No TV?"

"I'll have to talk it over with Charlotte, but you'll be punished."

"Isn't getting suspended for two days punishment enough?"

"Nice try. Now, go to your room and keep that icepack on your eye."

Mason nods and drags his feet up the steps.

Cooper smiles at his wife and quietly makes his way into the kitchen. He pours himself a cup of coffee and leans against the counter. It's 11:30 in the morning, but he needs coffee. Actually, he needs a beer or three, but he'll settle for coffee.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Charlotte stirs and pushes herself up. She twists her body and rubs her eyes, looking around the living room. It's quiet—too quiet. It's never quiet in this house. She stands up and heads into the kitchen. She smiles. "When did you get home?"

"Ten minutes ago. You were asleep."

She nods. "Where's Mase?"

"I sent him to his room."

"Did he tell you what happened?"

"I asked, but he didn't answer me."

"I'll get him to talk."

He sighs. "Of course you will."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

"You're gonna bully him until he gives you the answer you want."

She glares at him. "No, I'm goin' to ask him why he got into a fight and I'm goin' to keep askin' until he tells me. It's called bein' a parent, Coop, and sometimes, yeah, you're a bully, but he needs to know he's not the boss. We are. He needs to know if we ask him a question, he needs to answer it. Simple as that."

He grunts. "So now I'm a bad parent?"

She rolls her eyes. "You're readin' too much into what I said." She leans against the island counter and looks at him, offering him a small smile.

He nods. "It's just—I guess I'm still not used to him coming to you more when he's mad or upset about something. I feel like he only comes to me if you're not available."

"That's just somethin' you're gonna have to deal with, Coop." She pauses. "He's a boy. He'll come to you when he's older, when he needs to talk about _boy_ stuff. Just because he comes to me now, doesn't mean it'll always be that way."

He nods.

She closes the gap between them and hooks her arm around him. She tilts her head and looks at him.

He lowers his head, and is inches away from her lips when they're interrupted by the baby monitor on the island counter. He sighs and pulls back.

She laughs. _Knew the silence was too good to be true. _"I'll be back."

He gives her a quick kiss on the lips and nods. "You need any help?"

"I might. I'll let ya know via the baby monitor." She walks out of the kitchen and disappears upstairs.

He sips his coffee slowly and listens to his wife's soft voice through the baby monitor as she soothes the babies back to sleep. He may be a tiny bit jealous, but he can't help but smile at what an amazing mother she is. She had nothing to fear—absolutely nothing.

* * *

Charlotte comes back down the stairs with Isabelle. The nine week-old newborn is wide awake, but a little cranky, trying to find comfort in her mother's arms. Charlotte walks into the kitchen and sets the baby in her swing for the time being. She turns it on to the lowest setting and adjusts the tiny purple bow in her daughter's blonde hair.

Cooper walks around the island and looks at his daughter. He smiles. "Is she feeling better?"

Charlotte nods. "Her fever broke, so she's feelin' a lot better."

"And the boys?"

She sighs. "They're still miserable, but they're gettin' better. It just makes me wanna hold 'em until they feel better. I feel helpless."

"Welcome to parenthood."

She laughs. "Ain't that the truth?"

"Did you happen to check on Lucas when you were upstairs?"

She nods. "He's knocked out. I just stuck my head into his room because I didn't want to wake him up." She pauses. "I'm lettin' Mason cool off a little bit before I talk to him. I think that's best."

"Whatever you think."

She sighs. "Cooper."

"I think it's great."

"You're a horrible liar." She smirks at him.

He steals a kiss and nudges her. "How do you think we should punish him?"

She shrugs. "Let's wait until we know what happened 'fore we start throwin' 'round possible punishments."

He nods. "I agree." He sits at the kitchen table and turns his body towards the swing to watch his daughter wiggle around in her swing. He sneezes, which makes Isabelle turns her head towards him.

Isabelle giggles.

He looks at Charlotte and sees that she has her eyes trained on the baby, a smile on her face. He imitates another sneeze, causing his daughter to giggle again. He does it a third time because he can't get enough of his baby girl's laugh. This is the first time they're hearing it. "I'd say she's feeling a lot better."

Charlotte nods her head.

"We have to record this. Do you have your phone on you?"

She pats her pockets and then goes into the living room. She finds her phone on the side table and walks back into the kitchen. She walks closer to her daughter and then looks at Cooper. "Do it now."

He fake sneezes, but the room's silent. He stands up and goes over to the swing. He kneels down in front of it and sticks his tongue out at Isabelle. "Tough crowd." He laughs. He tickles her stomach and sure enough, that works. "Are you getting this?"

Charlotte smiles. "You bet."

He drops his hands and lets out a breath. "I could listen to her laugh all day."

"You can." She presses play and hands him the phone.

"And we get to do this two more times." He hadn't really thought about it like that before, even when the babies smiled for the first time. He gets to experience these firsts three times.

Charlotte looks down at her daughter and nods. "Mmhmm." She turns around when she hears footsteps.

"I still get lunch, even though I'm in trouble, right?"

She nods. "Of course, fella. You hungry?"

Mason nods. "Yeah." He pauses. "And my icepack isn't cold anymore." He sets the dripping wet icepack on the counter.

She looks at his eye and sucks in air. "Ouch."

"You should see the other kid," Mason jokes.

"Not funny, mister."

Mason swallows. "Too soon?"

"Mason," she clears her throat, "enough."

Mason nods. "Sorry, momma."

"Now, do you still have the lunch I packed for you this mornin'?"

Mason nods. "I'll just have that." He runs upstairs and pulls the paper bag out of his backpack. He goes back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Wash your hands, please."

Mason sets his lunch down and washes his hands. He dries them and then sits at the kitchen table. "I don't have to eat upstairs in my room, do I?"

She shakes her head. "You know we don't eat upstairs under any circumstances."

"But the babies eat upstairs."

"Cut it out."

Mason hangs his head and takes his sandwich out of the bag.

She runs her hand through his hair and rubs his shoulder. "Your daddy and I will be in the livin' room, watchin' TV. If you need somethin', you know where to find us."

Mason nods and focuses on his lunch.

She scoops her daughter up out of the swing and cradles her. She presses a kiss to the top of her head and loops her arm around Cooper's waist. "Wanna watch TV with me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

She drops her arm.

"I'm kidding. Of course I want to watch TV with you, sweetie." He gives her a soft kiss on the lips and then they walk into the living room.

* * *

**_Hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make it a little more lighthearted :)_**

**_Please review!_**


	15. Chapter 15

Charlotte lets out a breath and knocks on Mason's bedroom door. She twists her body and peers into Lucas' bedroom, where Cooper is reading the little boy a bedtime story. She smiles and jerks when Mason's door opens. She turns her head and tightens the tie on her bathrobe. "I need to talk to you about what happened at school today, Mason."

Mason sighs. "Why? I got into a fight. What's the big deal?"

She follows him into his bedroom and sits on the edge of his bed while he sits at his desk. "You know fightin' doesn't solve anythin'."

"Then why do we have wars?"

"Good question, but not one for me." She pauses. "Can you tell me why you got into a fight with those kids at school?"

"No."

"Let me rephrase that. Tell me why you got into a fight with those kids at school today. You must have had a good reason."

He picks up his pencil and drums it against his notebook.

"I'm waitin'." She shifts and hugs a pillow against her stomach as she waits for him to talk.

He shrugs his shoulders. "I just did."

"That answer might work for your daddy, but it isn't goin' to work for me. No one _just_ gets into a fight. Even bullies are provoked in some way, Mason. Neither one of us is goin' to bed until you tell me the actual reason, so spit it out."

"Cool, I don't have to go to bed?"

She clears her throat. "Mason."

He chews on the eraser and taps his foot.

She swings her legs up onto the bed and leans back against the pillows.

He glances at her and turns away quickly.

"Just gettin' comfortable. I have a feelin' we're goin' to be here awhile."

He runs the pencil between his fingertips and nibbles on the inside of his cheek. "It's never about me anymore. It's always about the babies or Lucas. I just—I thought this would get your attention," he mutters.

"What was that? Speak up."

He swallows. "It's never about me anymore. It's always about the babies or Lucas. I thought this would get your attention," he repeats a little louder.

She blinks.

"I'm the forgotten kid. I'm not cute like the babies and it's like losing just one parent is so last year." His voice cracks slightly as his shoulders heave forward.

"Can you come here, please?"

He lifts his head and looks at her.

"Come here," she says again.

He drops his pencil on his desk and stands up. He walks over to the bed and sits down on the mattress. He turns his body towards her and folds his legs Indian style. He pulls the drawstring on his blue and red plaid pajama pants and sighs.

She sits up and inches closer to him. She rests her hand on his knee and smiles at him. "Things have been really hectic 'round here in the last few months, more so in the last couple weeks, but your daddy and I have been tryin' to get you involved as much as possible so you don't feel like you're bein' cast out in the wind. Apparently, we're not doin' a very good job."

He lifts his head and looks at her, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"That bein' said, you should have come to us and told us that you were feelin' like this. Fightin' is never the answer. You could have really gotten hurt and you'll have this suspension on your permanent record forever. This isn't somethin' to joke or laugh about, Mason. This is serious and it's not tolerated in this house."

He nods.

"That's the end of my rant. It's your turn to talk. What can your daddy and I do to help? What can we do so that you don't feel like we're forgettin' 'bout ya?"

He lets out a breath. "I want time with just you or dad without the babies or Lucas, just me and you or me and dad. I'll help out around the house with whatever you need me to, but I want time for myself and time with you and dad separate from all that."

She nods. "Anythin' else?"

He shakes his head. "No."

"If you think of anythin' else we can do, just let me know." She pauses. "Get over here."

He scoots up the bed and wraps his arms around her.

She tightens her grip and kisses the top of his head. She pulls back after about a minute and messes up his hair. "I don't want to get another phone call from the principal sayin' you got into a fight. Got it?" She gives him a kiss on his cheek and gets off his bed.

He nods. "Yes, momma."

"Don't stay up too late, ok?"

"Uh-huh." He pauses. "Does this mean I'm not gonna get punished?"

"Nice try, kid. As soon as we figure out what to do with you, we'll let you know." She walks towards the door. "Goodnight, Mase, I love you." She smiles and heads down the hallway.

* * *

**_I went back and forth with this chapter. I still haven't decided if I like it or not. I had a lot of different reasons why Mason got into a fight at school, but decided to go with this one. _**

**_Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing! Keep it up. _**


	16. Chapter 16

The next day, Cooper's outside on the deck, early in the morning. He's cradling Emmett in his arms, while Dylan and Isabelle sleep in their swings beside him. He looks down at the now awake newborn, smiles, and wipes his son's runny nose. He rubs Emmett's back and chest when he starts to cough, and then sighs. "You're ok, tiger." He pauses and when the baby settles back down, he says, "Your momma's been doing a lot around here the last couple weeks and I want to do something special for her to show her how much I appreciate her, and how much I love her. Do you have any ideas?"

Emmett looks at his father and gurgles. He sniffles and his lips curve upwards into somewhat of a smile.

"What you're saying is that I should cook her dinner? Dinner and a movie? Or just dinner?"

Emmett wraps his hand around his father's T-shirt and coos louder, kicking his legs.

"Just dinner, gotcha. Thanks for the help, buddy." He tickles his stomach and watches as the baby's smile widens and his eyes brighten. "I love you, little guy." He touches the tip of Emmett's nose and messes up his brown hair.

Emmett wiggles and smacks himself in the face by accident.

"You're smiley and very vocal today, tiger." He pauses. "I wonder if your momma's awake."

"She is."

He jumps and turns his head. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Awhile." She walks outside and sits on the foot of the lounge chair that Cooper's currently laying on. She smiles at him and plays with her son's bare left foot.

"You ok?"

She nods. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason. You just look like you've just seen a ghost or something."

She lets out a breath. "Oh. I might have had a minor heart attack when I went into the nursery and saw that the babies' cribs were empty."

"Sorry." He adjusts Emmett in his arms and kisses him again. "They've been cooped up in the house for a few days, so I thought they'd appreciate some fresh air. They like the sound of the ocean. It put Belle and Dyl right to sleep."

She glances at her babies, sleeping and swinging close by, and smiles.

"They're all stuffed up and have leftover coughs, but their fevers are gone." He runs his hand over his son's hair and leans back on the chair.

She scoops Emmett out of his father's arms and gives him a good morning kiss on the cheek. "How's my baby boy this mornin'?"

Emmett stretches, letting out a yawn, mixed with a cough. He coos and looks around, focusing on her nose.

She rubs his chest and sighs. "That's a nasty cough, fella."

Cooper just lies there, watching her, taking it all in. He loved her so much before, but now, now that he gets to see this side of her every day, he loves her even more.

She looks over at him and raises an eyebrow. "What're you starin' at?"

"Nothing."

"Cut it out."

He twists his mouth and laughs.

Lucas comes running outside wearing only a pajama shirt and his underwear. He stops and coughs, hacking up some phlegm. He swallows and climbs up on the lounge chair. He sits between Cooper's legs and looks at Charlotte. He smiles. "Hi, Charlotte."

"Good mornin', sweetie. You feelin' any better?"

Lucas nods. "A lot better." He starts to cough again, closing his eyes.

"Cough into your elbow," Charlotte says, rocking Emmett in her arms. She rubs Lucas' back as he continues to cough. "Looks like we're goin' to have to readjust your humidifier, bud."

Lucas swallows and lets out a breath. He groans and rubs his eyes. He lies down, curling into a tight ball and resting his head on Charlotte's leg. He closes his eyes and yawns.

She slides her fingers through his hair and sighs.

"I want my mommy."

"I know you do, sweetie." She strokes his hair and glances at Cooper, who's still staring at her, his smile slightly faded but still there. She sighs and looks back down at Lucas.

Mason stumbles onto the porch and pushes his hair to the side, yawning. "Good mornin', Mase."

"Morning, momma." Mason pauses. "Is there anymore room up there for me?"

She smiles and pats the empty spot beside her. "You bet."

Mason walks over and sits down. "Are the babies and Lucas still sick?"

She nods. "Sort of. They'll probably have stuffy noses and coughs for a week or so, but their fevers are gone."

"That's good." Mason looks at his baby brother and sister in their swings. "Hey, look, they're waking up." He pauses. "Can I hold Belle? I'll be careful, I promise."

"Can you please hand me Dylan, buddy?" Cooper asks his son, shifting a little on the chair.

Mason stands up and unbuckles his baby brother. He carefully picks him up, cradling him, adjusting his arms like his parents showed him, and takes the few steps to his dad, walking slowly. He sets the baby in his dad's arms and messes up his brother's hair. He turns back to the swings and takes his sister out. He rocks her when she starts to get a little fussy. "It's just me, Belle. It's just Mason, your awesome big brother."

"Sit down please, Mase," Charlotte orders.

Mason sits down on the chair beside his momma and smiles.

Cooper looks at his oldest son. "In a little while, do you want to assist me in making breakfast, Mase?" He asks, thinking about the conversation he had with his wife last night when she came to bed.

Mason smiles. "Yeah, sure."

"I have a feelin' these will be the best tastin' pancakes I've ever had." Charlotte laughs and nudges Mason. "How's your eye?"

"Does it make me look tough?"

"Mason, don't start with this again."

"Sorry." Mason pauses. "It hurts a little."

"Can you see alright?"

Mason nods. "Yep."

"Good." She looks at the bruise on his cheek and the ring around his eye. She sighs. She doesn't want to ruin their sweet family moment, so she holds off telling him his punishment. She'll tell him after breakfast. She lets out a breath and closes her eyes.

Cooper leans back on the chair and brushes his finger across Dylan's soft cheek. He's surrounded by his best friend's son, his three beautiful babies, his wonderful son, and his amazing wife—nothing can be better than this. It's definitely a good morning.


	17. Chapter 17

Charlotte walks through the front door on the following Friday night and looks around. Again, the silence startles her. She sets her stuff down slowly and shuts the door. She holds onto the railing as she heads up the steps. She makes her way down the hallway and pushes open her bedroom door. She hears running water and then her husband's voice as he mumbles a curse. She turns the doorknob and opens the door. "Boo."

Cooper jerks, bumping his head on the top of the cabinet under the sink. "Ow."

She holds back her laughter and walks in, sitting on the edge of the half-filled tub. "You ok?"

"Yep." He rubs his head and looks up at her. He smiles. "You're home early."

She nods. "The hospital wasn't that busy tonight, so why stay when I could be home with my family? Apparently, they didn't get the memo." She pauses and dips her fingers in the bath water. "Where are the kids?"

"Lucas and the babies are having a play date with Henry, Jake, and Addison, and Mason's sleeping over at Nathan's house."

"So we have the house to ourselves?"

"Well, that was the idea." He smirks. "Do you know where the bubbles are?"

"They should be in the hall bathroom. I used them last night when I gave Lucas a bath. That reminds me, I have to put bubbles on the grocery list." She takes out her phone and adds bubble bath to the list.

He stands up and gives her a kiss on the top of her head. "Hey," he says, realizing they haven't said hello to each other yet.

"Hey."

"I'll be right back." He disappears into the bedroom and goes down the hallway to the kids' bathroom. He grabs the bubbles from the counter and heads back into his bedroom. "We have bubbles." He smiles and pours in the transparent purple liquid. He looks at his wife as he sets the bottle down. "Get naked."

She blinks.

"Please."

She unbuttons the first three buttons of her blouse and then stops. She fiddles with her belt and unbuckles it, not going any farther than that.

It's not until he's almost all the way undressed that he notices she's still fully clothed. "Sweetie?"

She looks at him and nods. "Yeah, honey?"

"Do you need some help?" He laughs and steps closer to her. He goes to unbutton the rest of her shirt, but she pushes his hands away. He sighs. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'."

"I don't believe you."

She sighs.

"Charlotte."

"I'm just not in the mood tonight, Coop. It's been a long day and I'm tired." She starts to walk into the bedroom, but he grabs her wrist and tugs her back. She yanks her arm away from him and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Is everything ok?"

"I already said it was!"

"Whoa." He steps closer to her and hooks his arm around her waist, resting his hand against her chest. "Just breathe." He turns her head with his thumb and presses his lips against hers. He pulls back and sighs. "Did something happen at work today?"

She shakes her head and squirms, pulling away from him.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"I'm running out of guesses." He pauses. "What is it?"

"I—I." She pulls on her buttons and swallows. "I don't," she swallows, "I just had triplets ten weeks ago."

"I know." He studies her face and watches her fiddle with her shirt. That's when it hits him. She's self conscious. She's still getting used to her new post-pregnancy body. He pulls her hands away and quickly unbuttons her shirt all the way. "You're beautiful." He pushes the fabric off her shoulders and kisses the curves of her breasts, letting his hand wander down the side of her torso. "I think you're absolutely beautiful, Char." He tilts his head and his lips skim against her neck, just below her ear.

She shivers and runs her hand down his bare back.

"You are by far the sexiest mother I know and will ever know," he whispers as he kisses her. He steps back and smiles at her. "Can you take off your clothes now and get in the tub with me?"

She looks at him and nods. She turns around and strips. With her back still turned towards him, she steps into the bathtub, submerging herself in the bubbles.

He sighs and takes off his boxer briefs. He slips in behind her and leans against the bathtub wall. He rests his hands on her shoulders and kneads his thumbs into her muscles and damp skin. He buries his face in her hair and kisses the back of her head.

She hums as he massages and kisses her.

"I love you."

She smiles and lets out a breath. "I love you too," she whispers.

His right hand begins to caress her under the water, wandering across her back and around to her abdomen and upwards towards her breasts. There's no denying that her body isn't how it used to be before she was pregnant, it will probably never be the same, but he loves it, might even love it more than he used to. He just wishes she felt the same way. He knows it'll take some time, though.

She shifts on the floor of the tub and leans back against his chest, closing her eyes.

"I wish there was something I could say or do to make you feel better about yourself," he finally confesses.

She turns her head and kisses him on the lips. "Just love me."

"That'll never change." He kisses her back and smiles.

She relaxes again and smiles.

He loops his arms around her, resting his hands on her stomach. "Are you hungry?"

She nods. "I didn't eat dinner yet."

"Well, you're in luck."

She twists her body and arches an eyebrow. "Did you cook me dinner?"

He smiles. "I sure did."

"What's on the menu?"

"Some fancy chicken dish I can't pronounce, a salad, and seasoned green beans. For dessert, I've got chocolate cake with raspberry sauce, and it wouldn't be complete without some champagne." He pauses. "This is my way of saying thank you."

"I was just doin' my job."

"No, actually you were doing my job too."

She tilts her head and looks at him. She smiles and lets him kiss on her the lips.

He breaks the kiss and smiles. "We can eat after we're done here. Since it was your first day back since the kids got sick, I thought you could use some peace and quiet and a massage when you got home."

She nods. "It's been a long day."

"Plus, we haven't really gotten to spend that much time together, just you and me, in a while." He resumes his massage. "Just relax. I get to spoil you tonight." He laughs. "And maybe you can spoil me later," he whispers in her ear. He smirks and continues pressing his fingers into her sore, tight, and overworked muscles.

"You might just get your wish. That is if I don't fall asleep." She laughs and exhales. _I'm lucky, _she thinks, and closes her eyes. She wasn't expecting this, but this is exactly what she needed tonight.

* * *

**_Just some CharCoop sweetness :)_**

**_Please review!_**


	18. Chapter 18

Cooper's sitting at the kitchen island, enjoying a piece of leftover chocolate cake from Friday night. Actually, he's pretty much stabbing at the slice with his fork, separating the cake part from the frosting.

Charlotte walks through the front door and sets her stuff down. "Cooper?" She heads into the kitchen and smiles at her husband. "Hey." She sighs when he doesn't acknowledge her. She pads over to him and runs her fingers through his hair. "Knock knock. Anybody home?"

He sets the fork down and lets out a breath. "What do you think about my parents?"

She pulls her hand back and looks at him with an arched eyebrow. "Well that was random." She pauses. "You know how I feel about them, and you know how they feel about me." She blinks. "Wait, are they comin' to visit? Is that why you're askin' me this?"

He sighs. "I mean, what do you think about my parents as guardians—to our kids?" He twists his body towards her and swallows. "We need to think about what's going to happen to them if we—if both of us, um, die."

"Well, yeah, of course we do, but now? Right now?"

"Why not right now? With how things have been for us lately, why not right now? There was Erica, Pete, and now Violet—we can't afford to wait. Anything can happen, anytime."

She nods and squeezes his shoulder. "Everythin' ok, Coop?"

He looks at her. "I just want to make sure the kids have somebody lined up for them in case, God forbid, we die." He pushes his plate away. "I had a patient today. She's five and her parents died in a car accident a year ago. Thankfully, her Aunt stepped up and took her in, but it just reminded me of Betsey and then that got me thinking about Lucas, and I just, I want to make sure our kids are gonna be taken care of."

She pulls the stool out next to him and sits down. "So your parents, um, well, do I really have to answer that, Coop? Aside from the fact that they're getting older, do you really think they'd accept a kid who was conceived from a one-night-stand, your best friend's kid, and three babies who have half my DNA?"

"Ok, so what about your mother?"

She laughs. "My momma? Yeah, I wouldn't trust her with a pet rock, Coop."

"What about your brothers?"

"I trust 'em about as far as I can throw 'em."

"So who does that leave then?"

She picks up his fork and breaks off a little piece of his cake. "Our friends," she says before sticking the fork in her mouth. That's the obvious answer.

"But who of our friends would take all five kids?"

"They're our friends, Cooper. I'm sure one of them would step up."

"Like they stepped up with Betsey?"

She sighs. "If I recall correctly, you didn't step up either. You didn't want her either."

"Exactly, so how can you be sure one of them would step up in this case?"

"I can't." She pauses. "But it's the best option we have, honey. I have faith that one of them would step up."

Lucas stumbles into the kitchen with his stuffed monkey under his arm, his hair tousled, and his pajama shirt riding up.

She turns her head and smiles. "We did," she says, glancing back at Cooper before looking at Lucas again. "What's wrong, little fella?"

"I had a bad dream." Lucas walks over to Charlotte and climbs up onto her lap.

She hoists him up the rest of the way and combs her fingers through his hair. "What was your dream about?"

"My mommy and daddy."

She sighs. "Those dreams are the worst." She loops her arm around him and smiles. "How about I tuck you back in and stay with you until you fall back asleep?"

Lucas smiles. "Promise?"

She nods. "I promise," she says, nudging him.

Lucas slips off her lap and hugs his stuffed monkey.

She stands up and gives Cooper a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you in the room?"

Cooper nods. "I'll be up in a few minutes."

She gives him a quick kiss on the lips and scoops Lucas up into her arms. "Come on, bud. Let's get you back to bed."

Lucas wraps his arms and legs around her and rests his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. He's asleep before they even make it up the steps, but she still sits on the floor by his bed, just in case.

* * *

_As I see it, there'll only be a few chapters left, maybe five. If there's more to tell, I'll write more chapters after that, but we'll see._

_Thanks for reading/reviewing :)_


	19. Chapter 19

Charlotte walks into the bedroom and immediately disappears into the bathroom. "Lucas is asleep."

Cooper rolls on his side and smiles at his wife. "Good."

She nods and few minutes later, she joins Cooper in bed. She lets out a breath as she gets comfortable, scooting closer to him.

Without warning, he lowers his head and presses his lips against hers in a warm, not-so-delicate kiss. He pulls back and she barely has a chance to react to the first one before he kisses her again.

She swallows. "What was that for?"

"Because you amaze me more and more everyday and because I love you." He pauses and skims his thumb across her cheek as he tucks her hair behind her ear. "Not many people would be able to or would willingly take care of five kids, two who aren't even theirs biologically and three who are newborns, but—you amaze me." He kisses her again and inches closer to her, running his hand up and down her side. "I'm lucky. I got lucky. You're a wonderful mother, Char."

She blinks.

"I know this wasn't what you wanted, which makes all this even more amazing." He pauses. "I love you, I love you so much, and I'm glad the kids get to grow up calling you momma. I really do."

She smiles and wraps her arms around him. She's holding back tears now, her bottom lip quivering.

He holds her tight against him and lets out a breath.

"That means a lot, Coop," she whispers. "It came out of nowhere, but it means a lot." She laughs and tilts her head back.

He lowers his and closes the gap between their lips. He breaks the kiss and smiles. "It didn't come out of nowhere. I've been thinking about all this for a while, but seeing you with Lucas just now, made me want to tell you now."

"I'm glad you did. I actually needed to hear that, especially from you." She slides up against him, rolling onto her side and resting her head on his chest. "I love you too and you're a great daddy—but I never thought you would be anythin' less."

He reaches over and shuts off his bedside lamp. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she whispers back, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep in his arms.

He stays awake for a little while longer, but eventually, he falls asleep.

* * *

A few days later, Charlotte's walking down the hallway to her office, but stops in front of Cooper's door. She hears giggling and the familiar sound of pillows flying through the air. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she knocks. She opens the door and smiles. "What is goin' on in here, boys?"

Cooper stops mid-movement and twists his mouth. "Just some harmless fun." He pauses. "They don't have school today and I don't have any patients until later."

Mason hits his dad in the stomach with a pillow and looks at Charlotte. "You want to join us, momma?"

"Sorry, fella. Unlike your daddy, I actually do work when I'm here."

Cooper tosses a pillow at her. "I do work. I said I didn't have any patients until later."

She catches the pillow and throws it back at him. It hits Lucas in the head instead. She swallows. "Sorry, buddy."

Lucas pops up and runs at her, hitting her in the legs with a pillow. "Now we're even." He giggles and runs back over to Cooper, collapsing on top of him.

"Do I need to get a babysitter in here to watch you _three_ kids?"

Cooper twists his mouth and turns his head towards his wife. "Hey!"

She laughs. "Have fun—be careful," she warns, before heading down the hallway.

* * *

Later that night, Charlotte's cleaning up after dinner. She has Emmett cradled in one arm, listening to him coo, while she scrubs down the counter. Isabelle and Dylan are entertaining themselves in their swings, Lucas is sitting at the kitchen table, coloring, and Mason is in the living room playing Wii with Cooper. She can hear the arguing and laughing from her post at the sink.

Lucas slips off the chair and walks over to Charlotte. He tugs on her pant leg a couple times. "Momma?"

She blinks and squeezes the sponge, her movements ceasing. She swallows and turns her head slowly, titling it down to look at the little boy, who is smiling at her, his blue eyes wide, as he waits for a response.

* * *

_Just a sweet little chapter :)_


	20. Chapter 20

Charlotte crawls into bed after all the kids are safely and comfortably tucked in. She settles down under the sheets and lets out a breath as her head hits the pillow. She's a little distracted. The biggest give away is that she's still wearing her jeans, T-shirt, and sweatshirt she changed into after work.

Cooper lowers his magazine and turns to look at her. He lowers his head and buries his face into her hair, giving her a kiss. "Jeans aren't exactly the best thing to sleep in, Char."

She opens her eyes and tilts her head, looking at him. She blinks and tugs on her sweatshirt. "Oh." She sits up and kicks off the covers.

He reaches over and brushes her hair away from her eyes, smiling at her—in that 'I love you and I know something is wrong' way he does. "Everything ok?"

She nods. "Course. Why wouldn't it be?"

He shrugs. "You just, uh, you just seem a little distracted."

She gives him a not so convincing smile. "Everythin's fine." She stands up and grabs some pajamas from her dresser before disappearing into the bathroom.

He's not convinced, not in the least. It didn't take him long after they started seeing each other on a daily basis for him to figure out when she wasn't telling him the whole truth about something. He's only gotten better at reading her over the years.

She comes out of the bathroom and throws her dirty clothes in the hamper in the closet. She gets back into bed and settles down again.

He sets the magazine on his nightstand and stares at her for a little over a minute. "Sweetie?"

She tweaks an eyebrow, letting him know she's listening.

"I don't see why you still feel the need to keep stuff from me. I'm your husband and I love you. You can tell me anything. What's wrong? You're obviously distracted about something."

She sighs and shifts on the mattress. "It's nothin', Coop. I'm exhausted. I just want to go to bed."

He traces his thumb along her jaw and presses a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger against her skin for a minute or two. "You should know by now that I'm not letting you go to sleep until you tell me what's wrong."

She grunts and rolls onto her back, turning her head to look at him. "Lucas, he, um, he called me momma earlier."

"He did?"

"Why would I lie about somethin' like that?"

"It's just a question, Char."

She sighs and nods. "Sorry." She pushes herself up and swallows. "Yeah, he did. First, to get my attention, and then again to ask if he could help me clean up."

"Well, Lucas looks up to Mason, who calls you momma, so I'm actually not that surprised." He pauses. "But I don't really understand why this is such a big deal."

"Because it's only been about a month."

"So?"

She shrugs. "I just wasn't expectin' him to call me momma this early, let alone at all. He's got a momma."

"Who, as much as I hate it, isn't here anymore." He sighs. "He's four. It's different. He doesn't fully understand what's going on and unless we constantly talk about Violet and Pete, odds are that Lucas won't remember them as he gets older. It sucks, but that's what happens—not all the time, but it does happen a lot. He's a little kid. He's going to grow up with _us_ as his parents. We're responsible for him now, and he's going to grow up knowing that." He pauses. "I'll never forget Violet or Pete and I'm going to make sure Lucas knows who they are, but we're powerless to stop how his mind processes all this or if and how he remembers his biological parents or what he calls us."

She nods.

He smiles.

She nuzzles into him, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. "You ok? I know you don't like talkin' 'bout Violet."

He kisses the top of her head and switches off his bedside lamp. "I'm ok."

She looks at him. "You sure?"

"No." He loops his arm around her and turns his body slightly into hers. He closes his eyes while he lets out a breath and slips his hand under her t-shirt, running it up and down her side slowly, brushing his fingers against her soft, warm skin. "I love you."

A small smile tugs at her lips and she scoots closer to him, letting out a satisfied sigh. "I love you too." She pauses. "Goodnight," she purrs, her husband's fingers beginning to knead into her muscles.

"Goodnight," he whispers, continuing to massage and caress her side until he falls asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte's standing in the kitchen at the practice, staring at the coffeemaker. Her eyes flick back and forth, watching the coffee drip into the clear pitcher. Out of the corner of her eye she sees a paper cup slide towards her.

"It's pomegranate."

She turns her head and smiles. "I'd rather have coffee," she says, taking a sip of the tea her husband graciously gave her. "But thanks."

He leans in close and pushes his lips against hers, letting his fingers snake through her blonde hair. He steps closer and rests his hand on her cheek.

"Are you trying to have another kid? Because if you two get any closer—."

He breaks the kiss quickly and jerks back, turning his head towards the door. "Oh, Amelia, hi."

Amelia laughs and walks over to the coffeemaker. She pours some coffee into her to-go mug and leans against the counter, taking a sip and looking between Charlotte and Cooper with somewhat of a smirk on her face.

Cooper gives his wife a soft peck on the lips and walks towards the door. "Lunch?"

Charlotte nods. "Yes."

"See you later." He smiles and heads down the hallway.

Charlotte glares at her friend and rolls her eyes.

"I'll give you some free advice. If you don't want people spying on you guys making out, I suggest you don't kiss in a room full of windows." Amelia sips her coffee and raises an eyebrow. "You ok?"

Charlotte nods. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like?"

"I couldn't sleep because I kept thinkin' 'bout Lucas. He called me momma last night."

"So?"

"Never mind. Forget I said anythin'."

Amelia reaches her hand out and rests it in the crook of her friend's elbow. "All that means is that you're doing something right, Char."

Addison appears in the doorway. "Amelia, are you busy? I have a patient who could use your expertise."

Amelia takes another sip of her coffee as she shakes her head. "Nope." She rubs Charlotte's arm and smiles before following Addison down the hallway to an exam room.

Charlotte lets out a breath and drinks her tea. She glances at her watch, and realizing that she doesn't need to be here until after lunch, decides to head to the hospital. Besides sex, she finds that the best way to clear her mind these days is to throw herself into her duties as Chief of Staff and spend a little time with Emmett, Dylan, and Isabelle.

* * *

Charlotte's sitting in the rocking chair in the daycare center at the hospital with Isabelle in her arms. Her baby girl is sleeping off one hell of a breast milk hangover as Cooper likes to say, and she's not far behind her. Her eyes are growing heavy and her head is beginning to droop to the side. Within a couple minutes, she's asleep with her daughter's hand wrapped around her thumb and her daughter's little face nuzzled into her slightly. She's still rocking slightly, but soon her movements slow as she drifts farther and farther away.

She's asleep for a while because when she wakes up, Cooper's sitting across from her on the couch, trying and failing to avert his eyes away from his sleeping partner. She clears her throat, bringing his attention back to her. He adjusts his two youngest sons, who are currently napping in his arms, and smiles at her. "Hey, sleepyhead."

She swallows and blinks the sleep from her eyes, running a couple fingers through Isabelle's blonde hair. She glances down at her daughter and smiles, seeing that she's wide awake. Charlotte catches a glimpse of her watch's face and blinks. "Shoot. I slept through lunch, didn't I?"

He laughs. "I could have woken you up, but I wanted to live, so I let you sleep." He pauses. "I sat in the cafeteria for about five minutes before I left to find you. You weren't answering your phone, which freaked me out a little, but I asked a few nurses and found out they saw you come in here, but hadn't seen you since ten o'clock. You were asleep when I got here, so I thought I might as well spend some quality time with the babies while I waited for you to wake up." He smiles. "You're awake now, so do you want to grab something to eat?"

She fights back a yawn and stands up slowly, regaining some balance before walking over to the changing table. She sets Isabelle down and twists her body towards Cooper. "I'm sorry I missed lunch, but I have to get back to the practice. I have to prep for my 1:30 patient. Rain-check?"

He nods. "Definitely." He pauses. "Did you just miss them or is something else bothering you?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah."

"Which is it?"

She laughs. "Right." She smoothes down the tabs on the fresh diaper and snaps her daughter's bodysuit back together before pulling up her purple polka dot pants.

"Well?"

She scoops the baby into her arms and bounces her, placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"Charlotte," he nudges.

"Alright, fine. Somethin' else is botherin' me. It's the whole 'Lucas called me momma' thing."

"Still? I thought our talk last night helped."

"It did—for about five minutes."

He sighs.

"But I'm ok now—really. I needed some time to process it. It's amazin' how much clarity you can get by playin' with three infants." She laughs. "I've decided that it's a good thing that Lucas called me momma. It means he's adjustin'."

He smiles. "You sure you're ok?"

She nods. "I'm sure, Coop."

"Good." He pauses. "Are you going to be home for dinner? Mason wants to make personal pizzas."

"Unless somethin' comes up between now and six, I should be home in time for dinner." She gives Isabelle another kiss and then hands her over to one of the nurses. She brushes her thumb against her daughter's hairline and sighs when she starts to fuss. "It's ok, Belle. Momma will see you later."

"I know I say this all the time, but you're a really great mom, Char."

She looks at Cooper with teary eyes and a faint smile on her face. "Thank you." She leans down and gives him a peck on the lips. "I'll see you around the practice. If not, I'll see you at home later." She messes up her sons' hair before walking out of the room, heading down the hallway to the elevator.

Cooper looks at his baby boys and laughs. "When you three say momma for the first time, I think she may need therapy," he jokes and spends another few minutes with his boys before going back to work.

* * *

_Another sweet chapter (not sure what's gotten into me ha ha)_

_Anyway, I might make the next chapter the epilogue unless you want more..._

_Please review :)_


	21. Chapter 21

Charlotte's sitting up in bed, checking her emails at three in the morning. She turns her head and glances at Cooper's sleeping form beside her. Her husband's lying on his back, sprawled out, with his head turned, as he snores quietly into his pillow. She sets her phone down and shifts on the mattress, settling back down.

Cooper stirs. "Hmm, Char?"

"Oh, did I wake you?"

He rests his hand on her thigh and brushes his thumb against her pajama bottoms. "You ok?" He slurs, his eyes still shut.

She nods. "Mmhmm."

He rubs his eyes and takes her hand, brushing his thumb against her skin in slow circles. He looks at her in the dark, her grainy silhouette hardly visible, but he could tell something was on her mind. He could see it all over her face. Her eyes were a little bit unfocused, her lips were pressed into a line, and she was biting the inside of her bottom lip—something she only does when she's holding something in. He's about to prod her again, but she beats him to punch.

"I don't want any more kids."

He blinks. "That's not a secret. It never was."

She sighs. "In the kitchen this mornin', Amelia cracked a joke 'bout our kissin' leadin' to another baby. I can't shake it. I don't want any more kids. I can't handle any more."

He laughs. "You're on birth control again, aren't you?"

"Yeah, of course, but we all know that worked so well the first time," she grumbles.

"You're not gonna get pregnant again, Char." He pauses. "But I do have champion swimmers, so—," he mutters under his breath with a sleepy laugh.

"I didn't want to get pregnant in the first place."

"So you regret it? Is that what you're saying?"

She sighs. "No, not at all. I love the triplets. I admit in the beginning I was scared and just pissed off, but I don't regret havin' them. I will never wish they weren't born—not ever." She's annoyed now and this conversation is leading into a fight she didn't plan on having, so she takes a minute to breathe and gather her thoughts before she looks at him. "Amelia's comment has just been on my mind all day and I can't sleep. Five kids are enough, don't ya think?"

"Not for me, but five is plenty for us. I have got more than I ever dreamed possible. I have my family." He smiles, tracing her jaw with his finger, and leans in to give her a sweet kiss on the lips.

She scoots over to him and snuggles into his side, resting her head on his chest.

"It's unlikely that your birth control will fail again, but nothing ever goes according to plan with us," he adds.

"Clearly," she mutters into his neck before pressing a kiss to his collarbone.

He yawns and tugs on the sheets. "Let's focus on raising the brood we have, and not worry about anymore accidental pregnancies, though I do believe the triplets were no accident. They were meant to be here, just like we were meant to be together."

"You're right."

"I know I am," he teases and kisses her again, making barely any contact with her lips. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She lets out a breath and closes her eyes. She's asleep within a few minutes. It's amazing how a simple conversation with her husband calms her rattled nerves and turns off her brain.

He snakes his arm around her and falls back to sleep shortly after.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Cooper's busy in the kitchen, making breakfast—French toast and sausage links. He's letting Charlotte sleepin just a little bit. He knows she needs at least a few minutes of extra rest, though he knows she'll probably be pissed at him for turning off her alarm.

Lucas is sitting at the island counter, coloring a dinosaur and connecting the dots. He's humming to himself and bobbing his head. He fights off a yawn and swings his legs. He stops moving the crayon and looks up, asking, "Daddy, is momma sleeping?"

Cooper slowly turns his head, staring at the little boy being swallowed by the enormity of the island counter. He chokes on saliva and nods his head. He hesitates, "She, uh, she is." He turns back to the stove and shakes his head. _I'm hearing things, _he mumbles under his breath, going back to cooking breakfast.

"My tummy's angry. I'm really, really hungry."

Cooper nods. "I know, buddy. Me too. Come over here and wash your hands. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Lucas closes his coloring book and slips off the stool. He pads over to the side and carefully steps onto the little red ladder with his name printed on it. He flips on the water and runs his hands under the stream.

"Don't forget the soap."

"No way." Lucas giggles and pumps the soap into his palm.

Charlotte walks through the archway and slides up beside Cooper, looping her arm around his waist and meeting his cheek with her lips. She smiles, but tugs on his arm, pulling him down closer to her level. "Thank you for lettin' me sleepin, but if you ever turn my alarm off again, you're dead," she warns with a slight laugh.

He swallows. "Sorry. I just figured you could use some extra sleep on your day off. There's no need for you to wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday."

She pats his back and goes over to Lucas. "Mornin', fella." She messes up his hair and smiles.

"Morning, momma."

She glances at Cooper and he nods in response. It's really happening. This is going to be a daily thing—Lucas calling her momma. She's just going to have to get used to it. It's a good thing, she keeps telling herself. She runs the little boy's back and kisses the side of his head. "Did you sleep alright, sweetie?"

Lucas over exaggerates a nod. "Uh-huh."

"Hungry?" She nudges him.

Lucas dries his hands and looks at her. "You heard that?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone can hear your tummy growlin'," she answers, tickling him and scooping him up in his giggly and squirmy state. She sets him back down and smiles. "Go wake up your brother." It just slips out without warning. She's thought about that, Mason being Lucas' older brother, but that was only subconsciously. She has yet to acknowledge that—well, until now, that is.

Cooper catches it and turns his head, arching an eyebrow and smiling at her.

It goes right over Lucas' head, probably because he already thinks of Mason as his older brother, though he has yet to call him that. "I'll go jump on him."

Charlotte shakes her head. "You certainly will not jump on him, sweetie."

"Kidding." Lucas laughs and hurries up the steps.

Charlotte looks at Cooper and swallows. "I guess that makes it official—we're a family—all seven of us."

Cooper smiles, but chooses not to respond, mostly because he has nothing to say. She's already said it perfectly—they're a family.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ _Head's up_,_ the_ n_ext chapter will most likely be set some time in the future (maybe when the triplets are six months old or during the triplets' first birthday). I haven't decided yet, but I know there will be a time jump of some kind...any preferences?_

_Anyway, more fluff :) Hope you liked it. _


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N: This chapter takes place a couple days before the triplets' first birthday..._**

* * *

Charlotte's sitting on the floor in the living room, leaning against the couch. She's watching Dylan and Emmett as they tug on each other's shirts and playfully push one another, while Isabelle explores the toy corner with her buddy, Lucas, smiling and giggling as the five year-old gives her a kiss on the cheek.

Cooper walks down the steps and stops, looking between the kids and his wife. He smiles and sneaks up beside Charlotte and sinks onto the couch. He feels her arm hook around his calf and sees her shift as he glances down at her.

"Is Mason finished with his homework yet? I told him not to wait until Sunday. It's the same thing every week. One day he'll learn, I guess, I hope."

He nods. "He says he's almost done. He's got a few math problems to finish and then he has to do some English worksheet on verbs or grammar or something like that."

"I left his permission slip for the aquarium on the kitchen counter. Make sure he takes it with him before he gets on the bus tomorrow. I have to go into work early or I'd do it myself."

He nods. "Mental note saved."

She squeezes his calf and lets out a soft chuckle, turning back to the kids.

He stands up and crawls over to where his youngest sons are trying to kill each other. He pulls Dylan away from Emmett just before the little guy has a chance to whack his brother on the head with a rattle, ultimately resulting in himself getting hit with the plastic noisemaker instead. "Ow," he laughs and sets the infant back down. "Now, boys, play nice."

Emmett and Dylan share a look and a little smile. "LaLa," the latter babbles, and a second later, the two brothers are on the move, crawling over to Isabelle and Lucas, competing to see which one is the fastest crawler.

Cooper laughs, watching his boys squeeze in between his daughter and his best friend's son. _Typical. _

Charlotte smiles and shakes her head. "Oh, brother."

He nods.

"Reminds me of my brothers when they were babies. Everything was always a competition to those two."

"Speaking of your brothers, how are those two knuckleheads?"

"Hey! I'm the only one who gets to call 'em knuckleheads." She pauses. "But they're doin' well—wait, I actually have no idea how they're doin'. It's been so crazy around here that I haven't had a second to call 'em."

His eyes widen and he smiles.

She looks at him and raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Hmm?"

"You've got your 'bright idea' face on. What is it?"

"Maybe we should take a trip, y'know, spend a few days with your family?"

She shakes her head. "No, that's a horrible idea, Cooper."

"Oh, come on. You just said that you haven't talked to your brothers in a while. It'll be fun. I'm sure your brothers are just dying to meet their niece and nephews. You haven't been home since your father died and you haven't seen your mother since our wedding. Family reunions are fun, especially when so much has changed since the last time everyone got together."

"Cooper, no," she insists, shaking her head.

He leaps up and grabs the phone when it starts to ring. He answers it and sits on the couch. "Oh, hey, Landry—."

She blinks and turns her head towards her husband.

"We were just talking about coming for a visit." He cuts a glance at Charlotte and smirks at the glare she's giving him. "I'm trying, but your sister's stubborn." He laughs.

She yanks the phone from his grasp. "Did you call for a specific reason?" She pauses. "Well, hello to you too, Lan." She sighs. "Things are really busy these days." She nods. "Why don't you drag your asses here? Why do I always have to be the one to come visit?" She grunts. "I'll think about it."

Cooper tries to conceal his smile.

"Love you too, baby brother. Tell momma, Duke, and the rest of the King clan I say howdy." She smiles. "The babies are doin' just fine, thank you. They're goin' to be one on Tuesday." She nods. "Crazy, I know. I'll call ya later in the week. Yeah, goodnight." She hangs up the phone and hits Cooper in the arm with it.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For openin' your big mouth, that's what."

He rubs his upper arm and laughs.

"Not funny." She puts the phone in the dock and sighs. "I'll tell you what I told him—I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking." He takes her hand and slips his fingers through hers, squeezing gently.

"I don't know why you're so gung-ho about this. My momma doesn't actually like you all that much and she's got the combination to my daddy's gun safe."

He swallows and eyes her suspiciously. "She wouldn't—."

She just smirks and walks over to the cluster of kids in the corner.

"Do you want to tag team tonight? I give the kids a bath, you read them a story, and we both put them to bed?"

"I was thinkin' we can do things together tonight."

"As you wish."

She nods and soon they're on their way upstairs with Isabelle, Emmett, and Dylan in their arms and Lucas running up the steps in front of them.

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_**Do you want to see them take a trip to Alabama? or Would you rather see Charlotte's momma come back to LA and drag Duke and Landry with her? **_

_**Review :)**_

_**Thanks!**_


	23. Chapter 23

**_It's been a while, but yay! Another chapter :)_**

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It's Monday night, and Charlotte's in the kitchen, sitting at the island, a glass of milk in front of her and a plate of Oreo cookies in between her and Lucas, who's sitting on the stool beside her.

"Momma, I'll show you how to eat Oreos." He picks up a cookie and smiles. "First, you take the top off. Like this." He shows her and hands her a cookie from the plate.

She smiles. "Do I pull it off or twist?" She's humoring him, of course.

"I pull."

"Then I'll pull too." She pops off one half of the cookie and looks at the little boy. "Now what?"

"You take a different cookie and smash it in the white fluffy stuff."

"The cream."

"That's what I said."

She laughs and reaches for another cookie. "Now what?"

"You take off the top of that cookie."

"Duh. What was I thinkin'?" She nudges him and they both take off the top half of the second cookie. "So what happens now?"

"Give the cookies tops to daddy and eat the smashed Oreos."

She's about to say something when the doorbell rings. She sets everything down on the plate and slips off the stool. "Are you expectin' anyone, fella?"

He shrugs. "Nope. Maybe. I don't know." He stands on the stool and climbs onto Charlotte's back, wrapping his arms and legs around her.

She adjusts his position and carries him into the living room.

He leans towards the door, pressing his hands against the wood, and looks through the peephole. "Don't open the door."

"Why not? Who's there?"

"Strangers," he whispers and starts to squirm.

She sets him down and watches him run behind the couch, peeking out from the top of it. She shakes her head and takes a look. She blinks and unlocks the door. She slowly opens it and swallows.

"Howdy, sis," Landry greets and pulls his sister into a tight hug.

She struggles to get out from his embrace and composes herself. "What on Earth are you two boneheads doin' here?"

"We're here for a visit. Duh." Landry shoves her a little. "I'm gonna go hurry everyone else along." He smiles and disappears outside.

She looks at Duke, her eyebrows furrowed. "Cooper put you guys up to this, didn't he?"

"Don't be mad."

She turns her head and rolls her eyes. "I said I'd think about it!"

"That's code for, 'I'm never going to think about it—ever.'"

Lucas pops his head out from the couch again.

"Who's that?" Duke asks, watching the little boy look at them with wary eyes.

She turns her head and smiles. "It's ok, Lucas. This is my brother, Duke."

Lucas crawls out from behind the couch and walks over to her, hiding slightly behind her. "Hi."

"Hey there, fella."

"You sound funny."

"I sound just like Charlie."

"Who's Charlie?"

Charlotte glares at Duke and kicks him in the shin for good measure.

"I mean, I sound just like your momma."

"Ooooh. No you don't. Not really."

"My accent's toned down a bit since I moved to LA, sweetie, but I used to sound just like him," Charlotte reasons.

"Oooh."

She scoops him up and sets him on her hip. "Duke, this is Lucas."

"I didn't know you had another kid. I thought it was just Mason and the babies."

She messes up Lucas' red hair and kisses him on the cheek. "He's a new addition. I thought I told you 'bout him."

"Must have slipped your mind, Charlie."

"My name's Charlotte," she corrects.

"So where's the rest of the rugrats? I'm anxious to meet 'em."

"The babies are sleepin' so keep your voices down, and Mason's upstairs finishing up his homework." She looks at Lucas and adjusts his weight. "Let's get you up to bed. We'll do a meet and greet tomorrow 'fore the party." She tweaks his nose and disappears upstairs.

"What's his story?" Duke aims his question at Cooper as he walks farther into the living room.

"His mom was my best friend. She died almost a year ago, almost a year after her husband, his father, died. We took him in. He's been living with us since then. He's really grown attached to Charlotte."

"Even a blind man could see that."

Cooper nods. "She's just that kind of woman. Kids love her." He smiles.

"How're the babies? And Mason?"

"The babies are perfect, growing up too fast if you ask me. It seems like just yesterday I was calling them my little avocados."

"Huh?"

Cooper shakes his head. "Not important." He pauses. "Let's see, Emmett and Dylan love to wrestle and beat each other up when we're not looking, Isabelle likes to hide her brothers' toys and watch them look for them. It's her little game that she plays with Lucas, and Mason's great. He loves his baby brothers and sisters, helps out whenever he can, but he's getting older, wants to do his own thing, hang out with kids his own age. Who can blame him, right?"

Duke nods. "I'm gonna go see what's takin' Landry and momma so long."

"She didn't bring any guns with her, did she?"

Duke laughs and shakes his head. "Wouldn't have been able to get 'em passed airport security."

"Right."

"But she doesn't need any guns, Cooper. She's got hands."

Cooper swallows.

Duke nudges his brother-in-law. "I'm only kiddin'." With that, he goes in search of Landry and Augusta, leaving Cooper alone with is thoughts in the living room: _maybe this was a bad idea after all. I'm in trouble._

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